Crossbone
by PowerZone
Summary: Washed away at sea only to regain consciousness at a cavern, Isaac and Mia must try to find a way out. When Garet and Ivan pursue a search-and-rescue, little do they know that the place they set foot could be the most dangerous in Angara. This is the author's take on the Crossbone Isle adventures. Isaac hears voices too, and Mia can get out-of-hand sometimes. Mudshipping, Rated T
1. The Tainted Ocean

**PowerZone Productions**

(in cooperation with The Last Djinni)

.

.

PRESENTS

.

.

**CROSSBONE**

(A Golden Sun FanFiction)

.

.

.

* * *

**X ~~~ EPISODE 1: FADING HOPE ~~~ X**

* * *

**PART 1: THE TAINTED OCEAN**

**Aboard the Tolbi-bound ship…**

Lightning flashed nearby and thunder boomed a nanosecond later. Amid the torrential waters across the monster-infested Karagol sea, the group of Adepts – Isaac, Garet, Ivan, and Mia – banded together with a group of fighters and brave men to secure the ship as it sailed to the other side of the sea, where the city of Tolbi stood wait for people around the land to witness the annual Colosso.

And as the ship's captain feared, the monstrous kraken emerged from the deepest area of the sea to bring down just another unlucky wooden memento. But this time, the kraken would bring itself up against a challenge.

"Whatever means there are, we should use them to bring the kraken down!" Isaac roared, swinging his sword to block a poison-infested whiplash.

Ivan, meanwhile, cast a defensive spell over all the fighters in the area. This spell would temporarily protect them against any elemental attacks the kraken would unleash – such as the froth of bubbles that nearly claimed the lives of three foolish fighters. They were quickly brought below deck to be tended.

"It's been a while since we've been backed – ever since we've been fighting a faster monster in the Lamakan," Garet remarked.

"But with the kraken unmoving, it's weight might bear down the ship unless we can defeat it!" Ivan yelled.

Isaac grunted. He cast a Spire Psynergy to disorient the kraken. "All the more reason we have to bring it down!"

"Watch out!" Mia screamed.

Isaac was trying to land a good blow on the kraken's underside as the leviathan reared its body to make one large slam at one of the fallen warriors. But fighting in the middle of storm – the incredibly bad timing to fend off a boss monster – and dealing with panicked passengers multiplied the intensity of the pressure to the Adepts, young as they were to be fighting so much. The pressure messed up their concentration as the Adepts scrambled on the deck, avoiding the beats of the kraken's razor whips and slipping on the wetness of the deck's floor. Isaac had to avert his offensive as he caught sight of the leviathan's move.

"I unleash Granite!"

From out of his outstretched arm came a wondrous pulsing mahogany-tinted orb that immediately dispersed in multiple showers, which then scattered around the area to provide protection and defense to its master's allies. The Venus Djinn made full concentration on the struggling warrior about to be fully squashed from the kraken's underside.

"Shine Plasma!" Ivan let loose a barrage of brightly colored lightning bolts to fend off two incoming kraken whiplashes.

Garet had his Mars attacks directly on the kraken. But the rain weakened the power of the fires he let out, unless Garet was close enough to deal good damage – which imposed serious risks.

Mia's Mercury Psynergy would get an additional boost on its power and effect because of the rain. However, since the kraken was a water-oriented monster, the rain conversely powered-up its water attacks as well. To compensate for this, Mia had her healing Psynergy always ready and her Djinni to assist the other Adepts in battle. She cast a protective field around Garet, ready to do some head-on battle against the kraken – the Mars Adept had climbed halfway up the tallest mast and hoped to get a clear blow from high up.

"Storm Ray!" Ivan's Jupiter Psynergy surged across the deck. Water was a good conductor of lightning, so Ivan had to use his element to his advantage. He had let loose his ray of electricity to fend off some more whiplashes aimed for Isaac and some other brave and/or foolish defenders.

"I'll try to get a good hit from the other side," Isaac called out. He gripped the hilt of his sword as he spotted a clear opening from where he could work to hack and slash the kraken. "Mia, come with me!"

"Alright!" the Mercury Adept responded.

The two Adepts raced across the battlefield as they ducked and jumped over more whiplashes and dodged the barrage of destructive water blasts and poisonous breaths from the kraken. One of the kraken's whips almost caught Mia in her path when a burst of fire shot down on the kraken's head from above. Garet was working his Psynergy from the top of the mast. As long as the kraken was distracted, the Adepts could deal some good damage. Ivan was doing his best to fend off the whiplashes.

Isaac clenched his fist and raised it into the air. Then with the swift downward swing, he roared, "Ragnarok!" Instantly, a Venus-infused colossal sword rammed into the kraken's body from out of nowhere.

The kraken roared, having felt the intensity of the pain received from the Psynergy. And what it did next would send Isaac out of his wits. The monster used its whips to _lift its whole body_ off the deck. Whether it was going to body slam on Isaac and Mia or it was going to slam the whole ship down, the Venus Adept would have to think fast.

"I summon Cybele!"

From the reserved energy of the three Venus Djinn Isaac released earlier, a miniature earth monster planted seeds on the floor below the midair kraken. From where the seeds landed, long stretches of vines sprouted from the wooden floor and caught the kraken. The kraken tried to slash off the vines but the whips were no match for the razor-sharp Psynergetic plants holding it and piercing it.

All too soon, the vines disappeared sending the kraken back to the deck and heaving a massive slam, causing the boat to rock violently.

And this was the first mistake Isaac realized.

For where Isaac stood as the kraken landed, his foot got caught on the nearby ropes. He lost his footing and Isaac was hurled over the edge of the ship. The ropes, however, snared his foot, and the Mercury Adept was dangling by the ankle for dear life. The treacherous waters beneath were terrifying.

"Hold on!" he could hear Mia cry as he felt his body being dragged up back to the deck.

"Ivan!" yelled Garet, descending the ladder from the mast and attempting to come to the aid of the Venus Adept in serious trouble. "We have to help them!"

The Jupiter Adept took heed of the distress call. "I summon Gust!"

Ivan found the Jupiter Djinni, Gust, a useful ally since the Djinni did not just allow Ivan to strike with the power of Jupiter but also grant him some bonus movement before moving in for the quick strike. As the Jupiter Adept arrived at the aid of Mia, still trying to hoist Isaac up, Ivan caught sight of an approaching whiplash above. Using the opportunity, Ivan lunged upwards for a quick strike, sending the whiplash upward.

Garet arrived a few seconds later, after casting a well-placed Heat Wave straight to one of the kraken's eyes. The monster writhed in agony, leaving it completely vulnerable to the melee attacks of the non-Adept warriors.

"Help me!" Mia called out.

Swiftly as it should have been, the three Adepts attempted to hoist their leader back to the deck, who had been dangling over the edge with the rope snared around his leg.

"Look out!" Ivan shouted.

Mia was too busy pouring her strength to lift her comrade. Garet took note of Ivan's call as it was alerted by an approaching barrage of whips. The kraken had been agonizing but it was more aggravated than ever.

Garet got into position. "Fireball!" From his outstretched arm came a flurry of fireballs aimed for the whips. However, the rain quickly weakened the fireballs such that the Mars damage done to the whips was almost nulled. This did not stop Garet from unleashing a Heat Wave, which became more effective since the whips were nearer. But it did not stop the kraken from attacking.

Ivan got knocked back by one of the whips. Garet was tossed to the other side of the deck. Mia got caught in one of the whips and was hurled over the edge. However, Isaac caught her hand and tightened his grip.

"Isaac!"

"D-Don't let go!" Isaac called. The drench of the rain slacked his grasp and he feared the worst that could happen. The rope that snared his leg was starting to loosen, maybe after the sudden impact from the kraken's near-surprise attack. Isaac could not do anything. He would have to let go of Mia to save himself – but that would put Mia in terrible peril as she could succumb to her own element. But if he exerted some more effort to tighten his grip, he and Mia would plunge right into the sea and possibly face the full wrath of the storm and the hand that would be death's.

If there were miracles, now would be the best time for Isaac to hope for them.

"Isaac…" he heard Mia wail.

The Venus Adept couldn't believe what he was feeling. Normally in this situation, he expected Mia to at least shift a little of her weight upwards to try and hold herself up. But she was doing the complete opposite: her body weight was shifting down the sea. This terrified Isaac, as he could not think of anything life saving to do. Such a decision – to let go or hold out – frustrated him. If only time would be more lenient to the both of them, Isaac could still find a way. But time was not on his side.

"Mia," Isaac said, trying to calm himself in the face of the natural adversity.

The Mercury Adept tilted her head upward gently. The Adepts' eyes met – one of hopelessness and one of determination, one of suffering and one of courage, one where all options for survival might have run out and one where miracles could happen anytime, anywhere.

He whispered, which Mia could not hear – but understand.

"_Trust me._"

Where there could have been pealing of bells or a void that sucked out every aspect of noise, only imagination could construct the rest of the puzzle. For while the Adepts' continued their gaze upon each other, the thin line that connected sanity and panic had not been fully defined to describe their emotion of the moment. And where there could have been words to exchange, even mere sounds that would send hints to one another on what to do, their laborious breaths on the dignified slow-motion of the scenery seemed to define the future – as the two of them plunged down… down…

The scenario righted itself almost immediately, and the last thing Isaac heard before his body met the unmerciful waters was the outcry of a nearby person – his name. Whether he could recognize it or not was up for Isaac to decide as he thought of the bitter pangs of fate that carried with the waves.

He never let go of Mia's grasp, or rather Mia never let go of his grasp. Isaac tried to shout – but it was utterly and universally useless to make out a sensible word underwater.

From the back of his mind, he heard a song – a mysterious melody that told Isaac to dive.

Trusting it, Isaac grasped Mia's arm tightly and submerged the both of them underwater. The underwater was a stately gray. Only the myriad of bubbles on all sides graced their presence as the two Adepts found it more difficult to submerge as the tossing waves kept pushing them down to the seafloor. He would have all the time to explain to Mia later why he would do such a thing – perhaps if time would be a little more lenient to the both of them for survival.

There was limited vision underwater, but the areas of the seas were always calmer. Isaac could make out the disturbance of the surface as the bottom of the ship continued on its own course – being guided by the waves to a direction where no one knew. The rowers were engaged in battle against some of the monsters that infiltrated the ship, so the ship wasn't exactly moving forward as it was supposed to be. Nevertheless, the ship continued to move away from where the two submerged Adepts were.

"Mia!" Isaac blurted but only a big bubble came out from his mouth.

Much to his horror, the Mercury Adept was unconscious. Soft streams of bubbles were issuing from her mouth – signaling that she was about to succumb to death, if Isaac didn't do anything. But if they surfaced even to gasp for air, they would be tossed by the waves and eventually succumb to death as well.

With the difficult decision he had to make in an incredibly stressful situation, Isaac searched for more alternatives. He could try to conjure Psynergy – only to find out that he was tapped. He believed Mia was also drained as well with all the healing and support. Their Djinn were on set mode and could be released to standby. But with the water about to clog his brain, Isaac's mental capacity started to shut down. Slowly, he could feel the grasp of fate entwining his body - his spirit. There was nothing else he could do as his vision blurred; and the last thing Isaac saw was a figure of someone or something swimming over to him…

**Back in the ship…**

"Isaac! ISAAC! MIA!" Ivan yelled as he caught sight of two figures that hit the water. He leaned over to the edge for any desperate signs of them. The rope that had snared Isaac's leg a few seconds ago showed nothing on its end. There was nary a person that even clung to any lifeline on the boat. Ivan believed that the two of them were overboard. "Man overboard! Man overboard!" He called out.

The kraken, however, was too busy trying to bring down the ship and those that resisted its attempt. There was virtually nobody to answer the call. Garet must have been serious injured after the last whiplash and his possibly painful landing on the other side of the deck.

Ivan searched for anything he could use to try and rescue the two of them. But when he got a better field of view of the sea, he knew it was impossible. The waves were just as tormenting as the wrath of the monster still too focused on the takedown.

"Garet!" Ivan roared over the howl of the winds.

"I'm here."

The Jupiter Adept heard it. It certainly belonged to Garet. Judging by his response, he was struggling. Ivan went around the back of the kraken and found Garet on a heap of slimy goo that the kraken had spat out as it engaged in battle with the Adepts. The goo saved Garet from painful impact since Garet had gotten up immediately and there were no bruises on him – save one on his left arm that he incurred when he was slammed to the wall.

"What happened to them?" Garet asked quickly. He aimed a Fireball to an incoming whip. The Mars Psynergy knocked the whip out of the range of the two Adepts.

Ivan was panting. "They went overboard."

"What?" Garet roared. "We've got to rescue them quickly!"

"We can't," Ivan responded. The truth hurt.

Garet almost lost control. He seized Ivan by the collars of his robe and hissed loudly. "That's my best friend and our best healer down in the sea. If they die, it's going to be our fault."

"I want to do something," Ivan countered, "but unless the rain can slow down and the kraken is thrown away, we can't do anything. Besides, we also swore to protect the ship until it reaches Tolbi."

"Who are we to count on at this time?" Garet spat, still not letting go of Ivan.

Before Garet could finish, Ivan shouted. "I really want to do something to save them, but we just can't. Accept it!"

The Mars Adept released a hand and clenched his fist, ready to hit Ivan hard on where he could be reached. Sensing this, Ivan clapped his hand and let out a giant gust of wind that knocked back Garet, toppling over one of the unconscious soldiers. Meanwhile, the kraken was already getting to work on breaking the mast.

Ouranos, one of the longest-surviving non-Adept warrior, rushed to Garet's aid. "What happened?"

"Isaac and Mia," Garet said, "they went overboard."

Ouranos gasped. "We must tell the captain, quickly!"

Garet nodded as he stood up and followed Ouranos back inside the ship to alert the captain.

Ivan only stood there as he watched the both of them. He was left alone to fend for himself against anything that would harm him – the kraken included. There was no choice left - no way out.

"God of lightning, I summon thee," Ivan chanted as he closed his eyes and allowed an incredible burst of Jupiter Psynergy work in him. This was his final avenue against the kraken. If it didn't work – nothing would.

**In the depths of the Karagol Sea…**

There was silence.

The melody of silence was one Isaac had been wishing to hear once more. He couldn't stand the few eternity-long times he spent on the journey ever since he betrayed his home. Silence was like the pealing of bells that no one could hear – only that it had a distinct melody which he could not exactly describe. As his body set in motion – seeing that his spirit hadn't completely given up, he searched around for any last lifelines.

He watched something approached him. It was swimming gracefully, almost like a mermaid in a far-flung myth. Could it be Mia?

But in the murky and unsettling sea, Isaac could not exactly figure out what was coming. Was it even there to save them? Was it there to pose as another kind of danger, which already unnerved him in more ways than one?

Suddenly the waters around him started to warm. It was an unnatural phenomenon for the water's temperature to rise at shallow depths. But Isaac felt as if his Psynergy was acting. He looked at his hands and was appalled to find out that they were vivaciously glowing a vibrant brown. The vividness spread to his arms, then to his legs, and then through his entire body. Isaac had become one with his Psynergy.

It was when he remembered about what happened as he, Garet, and Ivan set out in Kolima village the first time, only to find out that the whole village was cursed from Tret's power. Their Psynergy began acting up and they were covered in some pure essence of their own Psynergy, protecting them from the same sparkles that cursed the people.

It took the Venus Adept to connect things together. Even in the face of death, their Psynergy would always be there to help them out. Psynergy could only be strengthened if spirit could be fused together with the mind to become more than willpower. Maybe this was the final saving lifeline he needed.

"Isaac…" he heard someone call from within his mind.

"Mia?" Isaac said. This time he could hear himself even though another big bubble issued from his mouth.

"Down here," she said.

Isaac lowered his head to find out that Mia was enveloped in a burst of cool blue radiation in a similar manner as his. Their Psynergy had come for them when they needed it the most.

"Is this Psynergy?" Mia inquired. She was hinting some apprehension.

"Yeah," Isaac answered. "I think this can only be triggered when the spirit hasn't exhausted itself."

"It reflects some of the teachings of the Mercury Clan," Mia responded this time with more confidence – which she had come to accept the unknown. "It takes everything in the mind to exhaust the spirit, but the spirit will always come to accept the mind."

"Is this the spirit of our Psynergy?"

"Most likely, though I am not entirely sure."

"What do you mean?"

Mia's spiritual form ascended and came in level with Isaac, who still hadn't moved much since the appalling discovery. "It's as I meant it," she answered. "The teachings of the Mercury Clan only applied to what the mind can do for our other bodily faculties. As healers, we have that obligation to know what there is to know with body functions."

Isaac was reminded of the Fuchin Temple test. "Master Nyunpa said that as Adepts, we could channel our mind using our spirit, which is fueled from our bodily functions. I'm beginning to see that there's some sort of cycle of the mind-body-spirit."

"Something tells me that Psynergy is the center of it all," Mia said thoughtfully.

"And all the more reason we have to find out more from Kraden," Isaac finished with a defeatist manner in his tone.

"They could be far away by now…"

"The ship too…"

**Back in the ship…**

"God of lightning, I summon thee… For the hand of might shall deliver justice!"

The incredible burst of Jupiter Psynergy worked around Ivan as he chanted his call for his ultimate Summon. Ivan joined his hands together as the wave of Jupiter started to overwhelm the kraken, which had taken notice of Ivan's Jupiter spell to use against it.

Ivan was lost in an orb of green purified Psynergy that intensified like a hurricane. The kraken was beginning to lose its ground. Some of the wounded fighters snapped out of themselves and fled for cover as Ivan's Jupiter rampage continued to rescind whatever battle scar there had been obtained. Lightning crashed on different areas around the ship and sparks continued to crackle where there was water from the downpour.

And with the hand of retribution, Ivan roared ferociously, "I summon Thor!"

When this was said, a pillar of Jupiter Psynergy with mixes of green, red, and purple sparks emerged from where he stood and ascended high up to the stormy heavens. Four magnificent purple orbs – the spirit of standby Jupiter Djinn – pranced around the dazzling pillar and disappeared where the most trained eye can reach.

The kraken had witnessed everything and was clinging onto the ship for whatever it could do.

"I have heard your summons," a devastating malevolent voice echoed from the heavens. This was orchestrated by an arrangement of lightning that solidified to become beams of light that started to form a complicated geometrical pattern. The pattern was more of a triangle inscribed in a circle, but those in the ship got the picture. When the pattern was completed, an ear-splitting glass shatter echoed, intimidating the waters but enraging it more.

Meanwhile, Garet emerged from below decks and witnessed the Jupiter Adept lost in a dazzling light. He had to shield his eyes from the searing brightness as he watched the skies, apparently disturbed by Ivan's distress call for the heavens.

"What is that?" One of the fighters pointed to something somewhere up.

Garet saw it. Something was descending from the sky. "Is that Thor?"

The figure was bathed in a purple aura as it seemed to be riding on what looked like a hammer. It left behind a streak of lightning as the incoming godlike figure became more apparent to those who witnessed its arrival.

From the captain's deck, the captain himself was awed at the startling sight of the god descending to their aid. "The god of lightning and thunder," he muttered.

Thor descended from the skies to aid the one that had called it. As it neared the ship still tossed around in the waves, the lightning god leaped up from its hammer then raised a fist in the air. From where it clenched its fist, it conjured a brilliant lightning bolt for it apparently to throw down and land a fatal blow to the kraken.

But this wasn't the case. Thor summoned its hammer as the god hovered in the air. The Mjolnir arrived swiftly in the god's free hand. With a mighty swing, Thor joined together the hammer and the conjured lightning such that Thor was brandishing a fearsome lightning-infused hammer. With the completed imbuement, Thor lunged forward to meet the enemy its summoner wanted to strike.

Only the kraken could meet its own end as the other onlookers were awed in marvel at the display of the thundering god that came to their aid. But as the scene flourished on, Garet was extremely worried that Ivan might not survive the ordeal if he didn't control his spirit properly. Worse, if he failed to muster the courage, Ivan would lose all his energy and his plea for help would be all for naught – leaving the ship at the hands of the doom that was to submit to the kraken.

At a considerable distance, Thor stepped back and aimed its lightning hammer straight for the kraken. Everyone hoped that this would be the final blow for safety – for retribution for all the ships that had fallen and succumbed to the kraken's grasp. With one swift swing, Thor let go of its hammer as the Mjolnir trailed through the air with an incredible streak of lightning. Not even the wind or the rain could alter its path, and everyone knew that it was certain to hit.

With a deafening crash and a searing light, the only sound that muffled everything else was the roar of agony and incredible pain. It took everyone a few seconds to figure out that the kraken had been anguished from the surge of lightning that raged throughout its systems. The whiplashes were tossing around in the air but could not hit the ship that seemed to be somehow protected by a force field, possibly from the added effect brought about by Ivan's overwhelming burst of Psynergy. Nevertheless, the kraken, severely singed and shocked by the multiplied effect of the lightning, could not move after the massive damage.

The mystery only piled up. Everyone had been temporarily blinded by the impact of the lightning hammer that they could see where the Norse god had gone when they regained their vision. The effects however were beholding: slowly, pieces of the kraken started fluttering away like shattered glass. Eventually, more and more flew upwards to be carried away by the wind. What had been chaos in the prevailing moments then turned out to be tranquility, for everyone who witnessed and survived the moment could watch the end of a battle that they had fought for so long. As more of the kraken's pieces whisked away, the Jupiter Psynergy died out, leaving Ivan on the ground.

"Ivan!" Garet gasped as he rushed forward to help his friend. The near enraged tense situation the two had faced mere moments before the final call might have just been forgotten.

"Bring him in," came the captain's call. He had left his steering wheel for a moment to check on the situation. "Where are the healers?"

Then it hit Garet. "_Mia… Isaac… Please be safe._"

**Somewhere underwater…**

"What's going on?" Mia asked.

"I saw something bright flash in the distance," Isaac answered. He was a little cautious to tread on where it came from. Isaac wasn't sure if that was the ship that they went overboard from or if it was from something else.

"We have to go see," suggested Mia.

Even as the bathing glow of their Psynergy protected them from drowning, the two of them admitted that there was very little they could do.

"It's too far away," Isaac admitted. "Even if we were to surface and get tossed around, it'll be a long time before the storm settles."

The Mercury Adept sighed. "And even while our Psynergy can sustain us…"

"… Soon it won't."

"Must you be so pessimistic?"

"Hey," Isaac said defensively, "I'm only stating the reality."

Mia grumbled. "So you mean for us to die?"

"We won't die here, I assure you. We have to find a way."

Deep in the pit of his mind, Isaac felt the antithesis. Unless they could find something manageable and life-saving to do, their Psynergy barrier would eventually be exhausted and they would drown. First, he felt the urge to surface and deal with the waves – to let the still-unmerciful waters guide them around nowhere. But when Isaac propelled to the surface, something clicked in his mind.

That same music that told him to submerge earlier returned. "_Do not surface._"

"Did you hear that?" Isaac asked Mia.

"Hear what? I didn't hear anything."

Apparently, the music was speaking only to Isaac. "_Go deeper._"

Isaac almost flinched. At the disturbance, he had almost extinguished his Psynergy barrier. Refocusing himself, Isaac let the flow of Psynergy around himself and reenergize the Venus shield. But he could not contemplate with what the unknown music had just suggested… go deeper?

"Are you okay, Isaac?" he heard Mia ask though he didn't register the concern she displayed in her voice.

Isaac debated with himself whether to trust his instincts or follow the music's advice. He searched below only to look at a vast field of semi-darkness. They could not even see a trace of the bottom or any marine life that swam in their level. Was the music trying to save them or trying to lure them into danger? He hated dealing with split-second decisions when the balance of life was at the tip of a thread. What was worse was that he had to make the decision not only from himself but also for Mia. Then again, he led himself into it. And it was Mia who tried to rescue Isaac in the first place – only to be another victim of her own actions.

"Let's go deep," he said subconsciously.

This was met by a small outburst from the Mercury Adept. "Are you crazy? There's nothing down there!"

Isaac had to stop her ranting and said softly, "Trust me." With that, he gently took Mia's hand and led her deeper into the depths. "Concentrate on your Psynergy. Just be guided."

"O-Okay."

"Don't be afraid," Isaac told her, soothing her emotions and becalming every ounce of fear. He would soon come to acquaint himself with the music that only he could hear and that gave him advice on what to do.

"_Deeper._"

But how deep could it get? For a few minutes, the two of them went deeper to the abyssal depths and they could not even see any sign of marine life.

"How long will this take?" Mia asked.

"I'm not sure," Isaac answered truthfully.

That was when Mia grasped her hand away. "Isaac, please answer me. What are you trying to do?"

It was hard to explain. How could Isaac justify his actions based on a voice that only he could hear yet he could not even fully trust? How could he elucidate to Mia in such a way that he was not leading her to some certain doom that didn't need words to describe? How could he instill the trust he seeped in Mia, somehow deluded that Isaac had found some sort of method that would get themselves out of the mess?

"Mia, I…"

Isaac had to stop mid-sentence, not because he found it very hard to reason out but because he was certain he heard something else.

"Did you hear that?"

Still flustered, Mia demanded an explanation.

"Quiet, I can hear something."

Venus Adepts were known for their affiliations with nature's sounds. As such, Isaac had the sharpest senses (though not the most flexible reflexes as they belonged to the Jupiter Adepts). He was certain he had heard something out of the ordinary. He floated around in circles to listen better.

"What are you doing?" Mia hissed.

"Quiet," Isaac repeated. He let the silence fill around them. And that was when he heard it. It was a gurgling sputtering noise. "You heard that?"

"I heard it. What was that?"

"I don't know."

Was it something that came to rescue them? Or something that was at the end of a mindless path that the voice directed Isaac?

"Do you get the feeling that we're drawn deeper?" Mia asked him.

Isaac registered that question as he felt some power of gravity pulling him deeper. The deep-water pressures were starting to distort his thinking. Slowly, his body became heavy and he felt himself getting paralyzed. But that was not the continuation of the horror they were about to experience. Mia was experiencing the same kind of twisted sensation. No matter how hard he tried to focus himself, he could not prevail as the Psynergy barrier around them started to fade.

He tried to sputter out words, but he felt as if something chained was entangling his body, constricting his throat to keep him from focusing. He kicked around only in vain for there was nothing to struggle out from anything. The sparks of light showered in his field of vision as Isaac thought of the last things he wanted to say – but the cruel kind of torture could not even let him from doing so.

That was when something else happened. This time, the both of them were being forcefully sucked downward by deep-sea currents. Where it led them, they could not know as the two Adepts let out gurgled screams that no one else or nothing around could hear.

**Sometime later…**

"Wh-What happened?"

The Jupiter Adept sat up on a comfortable bed, but he still had the seasick feeling as if he was roused from a coma.

"Ivan, you're awake!" Garet exclaimed in relief. The Mars Adept stood up from his chair and embraced him. He let go quickly.

"What happened?" Ivan repeated.

"A lot of things happened," Garet answered. He could not find the right words to describe the scene.

"T-The kraken! Is it still…?"

Garet calmed Ivan down by placing his hands on the semi-conscious Adept's shoulders. "It's gone. We defeated it." He paused. "Actually… you defeated it."

Whether Ivan was trying to remember what happened or he was a little appalled that he might have done something didn't matter to Garet. The ship had been spared the kraken's wrath and the storm was about to pass. But it still stung Garet – even from where the most focused eyes could see the farthest or the edge of the horizon, no one caught a glimpse of anything that resembled Isaac and Mia. The firebrand still did not give up and he was certain that they were still alive. For him, it was some sort of an Adept thing.

"That was an incredible summon," Garet remarked as he brought Ivan a cup of warm Kalay herbal tea.

Ivan took a sip and nearly gagged from the awfully bitter taste. "I seem to remember something to that effect."

"That must have been your first time."

"Yeah," Ivan said wistfully. "I lost control sometime halfway and… it felt as if something just took over my body. I could not remember what happened afterwards."

Again for Garet, there were still more mysteries to solve.

"What happened to Isaac and Mia? Have they been found yet?"

Garet shook his head. "I'm certain they're still alive."

Ivan nodded slowly. "I'm certain too. It's probably the Psynergy that's flowing through us. If they're dead, we'd know right away even though they're very far away."

"Unless we could do something…"

**Somewhere else…**

There was nothing else to contemplate on, nothing else to think about. Yet, somehow, the fact that there was nothing only implied something. He could describe it or even visualize it – for there were no senses to move around. But was he still alive? He felt so. Even as his senses shut down, there was something at the back of his inner self – something that _still_ desperately clung to whatever there was of his existence. Had his spirit whisked away? Maybe not. He may have entertained some fragment of hope.

Someone was calling his name. It was a whimper, a weakened cry. He tried to move around, certain that his life force wasn't extinguished yet. But he couldn't even lift a finger off the ground where he was lain. The sense of touch hadn't returned to him, or that he hadn't let his touch control him. But Isaac could smell something pungent – an indescribable smell that felt like the underground caves of Vault and Vale.

"Isaac!"

The sharp call registered his sense of touch. He was on a sandy ground as he could hear the soft lapping of waves on the share. The nerves in his body began to register the cool surroundings – yet with the absence of drifting winds. This began to feel strange.

He opened his eyes. Everything was blurry. Isaac expected some whitish blur to fill his eyes and half-expected some moment for him to shield his eyes from some possible sunlight but he could only see a bleak green surrounding. This was stranger than ever. When his vision sharpened, Isaac could make out what was above him – a ceiling of rock. If he were inside a cave, it could have been pitch-black or so, but looking at the strange formations of a cavernous ceiling made him think otherwise. The strange feeling only made him feel afraid as he suddenly spoke, not even confirming that Mia was somewhere nearby.

"Where are we?"

**In the captain's deck…**

"While you were fighting the kraken, Isaac and Mia were hurled overboard?" the captain clarified their story. He had been listening attentively to what happened in the fight with the kraken. He had also seen Thor's mighty strike and was also temporarily blinded when the hammer struck on impact. The captain shared his thought, "It seems to me that they might be far gone by now."

The captain had felt unusually calm for the whole time the Adepts and a brave band of fighters volunteered to face off against numerous sea monsters and the kraken. He had the primary responsibility of controlling the ship even in the middle of the storm and in the center of a leviathan brawl. When the mess was cleared (it took much men to hurl the last of the kraken's remains back to the sea, causing a huge splash much to the dismay of the oarsmen) and the storm settled a little, the captain called Garet and Ivan to the deck for some discussion. He was aware that two people – Isaac and Mia – had gone overboard while fighting the kraken.

"They're still alive," Garet countered with much conviction. "I don't know how, I don't know why… but, I just know."

"It's an Adept sort of thing," Ivan expounded. "We're accustomed to using our powers in battle but also as means of communication." It was easier for him than done for others especially that the Jupiter Adept could read the minds of anyone he comes close with. Without the knowledge of the captain, Ivan had delved into the captain's mind. While the captain was displaying some bravery and hope to bring the ship to Tolbi, Ivan knew that the captain was simply displaying a façade that masked his utter frustration of the ship's severe damage. Nevertheless, no matter what the captain thought, he was still determined to bring the ship and the terrified passengers to Tolbi.

"It's dangerous to launch a search-and-rescue," the captain said pensively. "Ever since that eruption, the animals across the Karagol have been restless. As you've seen, some of them have… mutated into horrid creatures."

"They'll manage it," Garet told Ivan. The Mars Adept meant Isaac and Mia. "They're much stronger than we think. We've all had our shares of combat throughout Angara."

"Did that kraken take other ships with it?" Ivan asked the captain.

The captain sighed, still not taking his eyes off the ship's course and not letting go of the steering wheel. "Before the kraken came, we usually had the timid giant squid that rarely surfaces. The lucky ones aboard ships would catch even just a fleeting glimpse of the elusive creature." As he narrated on, his tone became more depressing. "Those were the better times. The Karagol Sea was a gold mine for the fishermen and their livelihood. Tolbi and Kalay became wealthy cities because of the commerce produced by the fishermen."

Garet and Ivan could connect two-and-two together. "Until the volcanic eruption," Ivan muttered.

"Everything went downhill from there," continued the captain. "Fishermen were not getting adequate amounts of fish. The waters have gotten cooler. Marine life has been depleting. Until one evening when people in a fishing village awoke to the gurgling screams coming from the sea. According to them, one of the fishermen had gone out to sea to test his luck. But the disturbance was nothing normal."

"Could it have been the kraken?" Garet asked.

The captain shrugged. "We cannot know for sure. But since the massive eruption, we've been getting sights of a massive sea creature. A number of ships and lives have fallen to the grasp of it. The few lucky ones made it back to shore to narrate their near-death ordeal. That's how we learned later that it was the kraken that caused the vicious tragedies."

"But how do you know about the kraken, captain?" Ivan asked thoughtfully.

The captain gripped the steering wheel to show some tension. "There have been stories of famous sea monsters passed down in generations," he answered. The captain paused as if he was recalling something, but Ivan's mind reading showed that the captain might have had some hesitation in revealing something important. "My great grandfather, known as the legendary seafarer Raveneye, traveled far and wide throughout Weyard in pursuit of the mysterious Trefellgjen."

Garet did not understand. "Trefellgjen?"

He took a deep breath and exhaled mightily. "Trefellgjen was the pirate king who people thought was an immortal larger-than-life being that sailed around the sea to induce terror upon those who would dare challenge it. Everyone who set out in the seas feared his name, for he was known to have an army of sea creatures. Anyone who crossed his path would be left for dead – or be as good as dead."

"Your great grandfather pursued Trefellgjen even when he knew the kind of danger from encountering this pirate?" Ivan asked.

His tone was impassive. "Raveneye searched everywhere he could find – in every water space throughout Weyard… The last time he was heard from was after he disembarked from Tolbi. Nobody in the world then knew his whereabouts ever since."

Garet and Ivan exchanged grimaced looks. "So… after all this time, Raveneye is still wandering around the sea?" Garet inquired.

"I am inclined to think that Raveneye is still alive."

Ivan gasped. "A-Alive? How do you think so?"

Finally, the captain let go of the steering wheel and stepped back. He then sat down on a stool nearby him and just poured out some disturbances from his thoughts, which Ivan could sense even before the captain could open his mouth. There would be little problems for the ship, since the rowing crew would bring the ship on its course and the captain was certain that they wouldn't stray too far from the course.

"Sometimes at night, I can hear him wailing," the captain admitted, his voice hoarse. "I would be awakened in the middle of the night with his call of my name ringing in my ears."

"Have you known him?"

"Oh yes – I was still a wee tyke at that time," answered the captain. He rubbed the temple of his head to calm himself. "Even as Raveneye had passed his hundredth year, he was still well alive and kicking with the energy of a twenty year old. I do not know how."

Ivan took his cue to read the captain's mind. The captain was being truthful.

"By that time, he was still faring the seas and he was teaching me the littlest and grandest things of sea navigation." He turned his head to where he had placed his anchor trinket, his good luck charm. Even at this moment in the cruise, Garet and Ivan could not fathom how such a trinket protected the entire ship from "mortal" danger – the kraken being the gravest so far. "It was Raveneye who gave me that trinket – said it was a good luck charm. In all my years of sailing, I still put his words to good use."

Garet returned to the topic about Raveneye. "About Raveneye… you said you could hear his voice in your sleep."

The captain shut his eyes tightly and grasped his head with one hand. Garet and Ivan restrained themselves from making another word as they watched the captain try to deal with his own struggles. They felt unsure if they wanted to help the distressed captain or to pry more into the matter. The Adepts learned in their journey that acquiring new information about places could be a good source of learning new Psynergy that would help them overthrow the enemy they would face soon.

"Has anyone told you about Raveneye?" The captain asked. This was responded by two shaking heads. The captain sighed – unsure if he had to reveal the story to two of the youngest yet mightiest warriors he had ever met in his life. "As a seafarer, Raveneye was only after one thing: how to get rid of Trefellgjen, who was the most notorious pirate during that time. Trefellgjen must have heard about Raveneye's treasure-hunting exploits all for the sake of preserving his town – because when Trefellgjen attacked Raveneye's home in Asmna, in Southern Angara, the pirate killed his wife. Raveneye's children fled to safety. As revenge, Raveneye searched everywhere to seek out retribution against Trefellgjen."

Garet and Ivan were interested and immersed in the story that they sat down on the wooden floor like children about to be told a fascinating story by their mother.

The captain continued. "It took numerous years before he could find peace in himself and returned to Asmna, which was named Champa. We have never moved from Asmna since the raid. Upon his return, Raveneye spent a few days there – that was when he taught me about seafaring. When he sailed out to continue his pursuit, I thought it would be the last time I would hear from him."

"Where does the kraken fit in all this?" Ivan asked, seemingly more confused than fascinated.

The captain cleared his throat and allowed the suspense to settle. Only the repetitive beat of the drum and the steady rowing sounds of oars against the water could be heard in the silence in the captain's deck. "Raveneye had dealt with the kraken once before he returned to Asmna and described his exploits in great detail – giving him the moniker Raveneye."

"What was your great grandfather's real name?" Garet asked.

"Seymour," the captain answered. "He was known throughout Weyard as Raveneye as we spread his tales on his exploits."

The Adepts exchanged looks of amusement. Now it was understandable how the pun of the Raveneye name came about.

The captain shuddered. "A-Anyway. He claimed that he had bested the kraken in his one-man crew. How he did it, we'd never know. But his description of the kraken almost exactly matched the description of the kraken that you guys defeated. At least the Karagol is safe for now, thanks to you." He looked out of the window to make sure that the ship was still on course. Satisfied, he returned to his storytelling. "For many years as I grew up, his fame continued spreading across Weyard. Eventually, Trefellgjen started hunting Raveneye. Somewhere along the way, just as Raveneye made Trefellgjen his worst enemy, Trefellgjen did the same."

"It must have been from the worldwide alert that Trefellgjen sought out Raveneye for sea superiority," Ivan remarked.

"Raveneye was only out for revenge after Trefellgjen was slain. Trefellgjen, being the pirate he was, was after for sea superiority." The captain took a deep breath. "It took another ten years before the two of them would be locked in a glorious battle, known to this day as the Tainted Ocean."

"The Tainted Ocean?" quizzed Garet.

"It was right in this very sea," the captain continued. "Nobody could come up close, but those from Tolbi had seen Raveneye set out for sea to meet Trefellgjen, who was said to set up his base in the middle of the Karagol. What they saw was beyond their belief."

"Is this why you're sailing this ship in the middle of the Karagol, captain?" Ivan asked respectfully. "To search for whatever remained in that battle between the pirate and your great grandfather?"

"At some point, I nearly gave up – until I heard his cry in the middle of my sleep. I thought I had been dreaming, but his cry was something comparable to the vividness of the scenery that you brought out to bring down the fearsome kraken. Something tells me that Raveneye wants me to fulfill his mission."

Garet's eyebrows furrowed. "Mission? You mean to kill Trefellgjen?"

The captain sighed miserably. "Unfortunately, my old age does not allow me to wield a light blade properly. I feel as if Seymour is squabbling at me for my failure in this hypothetical mission."

Something was not adding up in the tale, Ivan thought. "How does the story of Raveneye and Trefellgjen aid us in searching for Isaac and Mia?"

The captain stood up from his stool to return to the steering wheel. "At the bottom of the sea is a strong current that draws and sucks all that have sunk to somewhere deeper. Chances are that current brings those into Trefellgjen's lair. I do not have the knowledge about Trefellgjen unless I can confirm that my great grandfather is still alive."

Garet almost lost his cool. "Y-You mean to say that they might be at the bottom of the sea?"

"You said earlier that you were certain for sure that they were still alive," the captain reminded.

The Mars Adept calmed down. "W-Well, I just can't digest how they would survive at the bottom of the sea. But… it's an Adept sort of thing. I believe they're still alive."

"How do you plan to find Raveneye?" Ivan asked.

He gripped the steering wheel as looked out into sea. Somewhere on the horizon was the top of a hill that signified that they were about to reach land – the crewmember stationed on the top of the mast had just roared, "Land ho!"

"We'll have to find some leads that can lead us to them – but I cannot just abandon my duties just because I've been called in the middle of the night." The captain was alerted by the crewmembers call for land. He saw the first patch of land on the horizon. "I'm guessing we've finally arrived in Tolbi."

Garet stepped forward past the trinket atop a large barrel and to the window. "The land's spread out," he said upon closer observation. "It's Tolbi all right!"

The captain smiled as he breathed in immense relief. Never had he commanded a ship that had faced a lot of danger throughout its voyages in the sea. It was up to him if he should retire for good upon making his supposed final arrival in Tolbi or continue the brazen passion he inherited from his great grandfather. He was more than expectant in looking forward for some serious repairs when the ship would dock at the port. But he was also worried that the passengers would lose their mental appetite for the upcoming Colosso. Hopefully, the ordeal with the kraken didn't delay them or produce any unwelcome setbacks.

The captain's deck door opened and Ouranos, one of the leaders of the fighters that raised arms against the kraken, stepped in. Even as he had fought the kraken, he still had to deal with his immeasurable disdain of sailing. "Captain, we've–"

But the captain told him off. "Arrived. Yes, we know."

Ouranos spotted Garet and Ivan and smiled as he nodded, signifying his immense gratitude of clearing out the life-threatening mess.

Over time as the mountainous horizon expanded to reveal a wide land array, the passengers were anxious to get off the ship and forget about everything that happened in the ordeal. The annual Colosso event would be held in a few days. Sean and Ouranos had been talking excitedly about the event and had revealed that they were going to enter in the competition.

Yet Garet and Ivan were anxious for a different reason. They still had no contact with Isaac and Mia though they could feel that the communication of Psynergy was still present, indicating that they were alive. But where were they?


	2. A Way Out

**EPISODE 1: FADING HOPE (continuation)**

**PART 2: A WAY OUT**

"Isaac, get up."

Still groggy, Isaac lifted himself off the ground. The unconscious sensation was still stinging in his mind, but the acrid underground smell made him numb. Wherever they were, Isaac was sure he had never been to this place. Their Psynergy body barrier had long been gone, given that they could now breathe the pungent smell the place held. It wouldn't be long before they would run out of oxygen unless they could find a way out – and swimming down to find a cave that did somehow direct them was out of the option.

He turned to Mia, whose cleric robes were wet and soiled and was equally frustrated at the situation they were in. Things would get uncomfortable from then on. "Any idea where we are?"

Mia shook her head. "It looks like an underground cave. I suspect that the sea current must have carried us here." Her voice echoed around the cavern. She also paid attention to the soft drips of water that plunked like giant raindrops over a small puddle. "This place is void of any free sound."

The cavern wasn't immense – it had the area of the Tolbi-bound ship, which Isaac familiarized with its proportions. Half of the cave was filled with water, somewhere at the end would be a deep underwater tunnel which they probably came in from. The ceiling was clustered with what one would expect – a limestone formation of stalactites, with a particularly huge one somewhere in the far corner over the water. The cavern wasn't pitch black as one would normally expect – an array of crystals glittering with light were on the cavernous ceiling as they acted like stars in the night sky. Like the enormous stalactite, an enormous crystal was wedged on the other corner as if it posed as a metaphorical moon. After some minutes of exploration while going atop and over gaps and wedged boulders, Isaac found a tunnel that led to a pitch-black rocky corridor.

"Mia, this way." Isaac didn't need to call, his normal tone echoed throughout the cave and Mia caught his attention. She strode over to where he was.

"Where does it lead to?" Mia inquired when she regrouped with Isaac.

Isaac shrugged. "I'll send out one of our Djinn for light."

Mia agreed. "I'll do too."

The two of them sent out one Djinni each to provide illumination: Isaac sent a Venus Djinni, while Mia sent out a Mercury Djinni. Their Adepts requested for light and the two Djinn glowed ferociously, brightening the surrounding area. Ahead seemed to be a long murky corridor filled with rotted algae and dirt and contained a smell that was starting to dig into the Adept's nostrils. Djinni were immune to the smell as they were compatible with any kind of smell – even on Garet's puddle of sick when they feasted out in the Lamakan Desert once.

Isaac's Djinni provided light as he scouted ahead for any possible danger while Mia's Djinni provided light at the back as the creature merrily followed them. Their lights seemed to embrace the Adepts as they kept themselves warm for their clothes to dry out. Isaac seemed to have a strange kind of sensation that did not involve drying out with warmth.

"Stop," Flint, the Venus Djinni, told them.

"What's the matter?" Isaac asked.

"I'll look ahead, but don't follow," Flint said.

"Okay, but don't do anything reckless."

With that, the Venus Djinni levitated in the air for a few seconds then hovered forward.

Isaac had been paying attention to the Djinni for a while until he discovered that Flint was inspecting in an unusually large area. That was when he made a startling discovery. "It's a huge room up ahead." Even as he dropped his voice almost to a whisper, his voice was magnified as it echoed around the cave.

"I found something!" Flint's excited voice was like a screech. Isaac and Mia (and the poor Mercury Djinni) had to cover their ears.

"No need to shout." Mia called back. She covered her mouth at her mistake when Isaac nudged her hard.

The illuminated Flint had been quite a considerable distance below them. He hovered back to where the Adepts were – based on the Mercury Djinni's guiding light.

"What have you found out?" Isaac inquired the investigation result.

Flint bobbed its head up and down. "There's a deep well down there." He relaxed himself. "But… the well is surrounded by a lot of sharp blades – designed for instant death on anyone who falls into this trap."

Isaac flinched. Had they not sent out their Djinn to scour the area, they would have fallen into a nasty trap that would literally cut their lives out. "W-Where is the well positioned from this area?"

"I'd say you'd have to make quite a long jump," Flint suggested.

"Long jump, right…"

Given Flint's observation, and the kind of situation they were in, Isaac was faced with a tough decision.

"I hate this," Mia whimpered.

Isaac rounded on her. "There's no other way to proceed unless you'd vote to swim back to where we came from – and it'll be a long swim back and I don't guarantee that the Psynergy barrier would save us another time," he reasoned, only to lead to an irritable Mia.

"You were the one who led us here," Mia almost outburst that Isaac jumped (the Djinn did nothing as they were almost impervious to it). She had been to a lot of tense situations where she got to the point of nearly losing her temper – but being graceful as she was as the Mercury teachings provided her, Mia had to be indifferent to any kind of situation and approach such in a calm manner. Being the party healer after all would require her to exercise some level of flexibility. Isaac tried to calm her, but Mia's irritation would be going over the meter. There was no way back, and there was only a very risky way forward. "Come on, Isaac. If it weren't for your instincts and all of your trying-to-trust-me, this wouldn't have–"

Isaac cut her. "I was dangling off the side of the ship and trying to hoist myself up!"

"If it had not been for the kraken, none of this would have happened!" Mia sneered.

"Fine!" Isaac raised his voice, disturbing the stillness of the supposed perpetual silence of the cavern. "Blame it on the kraken! It was too bad I had to save your sorry ass from drowning. If only you had eyes on the back of your head – I quote that none of this would have happened!"

Throughout the bickering of their holders, the two Djinn could only watch out of fear that if they intervened, they would be verbally (and possibly physically) pummeled without mercy.

"Let me be frank here, Isaac." She tapped a finger to the Venus Adept's chest to show her disdain. "I only had to save you because all the others were too busy in battle! You should be thankful that I had to save your sorry ass…" tears were starting to needle out from her eyes as a psychological response to the intense stress, "… because you'd might be drifting alone at sea with nothing else more than a bunch of sea monsters more than ready to eat you alive."

"That's not the point!"

"It is!" Mia stamped the ground hard such that she had to stop talking to listen to a crumbling sound from underneath them.

The ground where they stood on had been unstable such that when Mia stamped the ground, a part of the foundation collapsed, giving way for the rocks above it – and the area where the Adepts and the Djinn were – to collapse on their own weight.

Mia and Isaac scrambled for the hallway behind but were too late as more and more of the rocks continued piling down to the razor-filled ground. At one point, Isaac tried to lunge forward to tackle Mia to the ground in the hope that the momentum would push themselves forward to safety – only to grab a part of the damp robe, which made Mia trip on her own accord. This was met by an onset of swear words that Isaac swore Mia had never them uttered aloud. But the ensuing chaos didn't stop. The Djinn, being small, could not do much to help out by physically grabbing them and slowing their fall. That was when Isaac had an idea. He still hadn't exhausted his Djinn and it was a good time to summon.

Trying to focus all he could, Isaac shut his eyes, joined his palms, and let his Psynergy work for him. Flint, sensing this, sprang into aid of the troubled Adepts.

"Mother and protector of the earth, I call for your help." Upon Isaac's call for help, a burst of Venus Psynergy worked around him. Even as the land continued to collapse – eventually to send the both of them to a thorny death if they would not act, the Adepts felt as if the earth responded to the call for help from the Venus Adept because the land was falling at a much slower rate than when it started collapsing. Isaac, still embraced with a smooth brown-and-green glow containing purified Venus Psynergy, raised an arm and let loose a surge of light that illuminated the cavern. And with a deep booming voice, he called, "I summon Cybele!"

When Isaac called for the summon, three brown glowing orbs swirled around the surge of Venus light until they faded inside it. Where the orbs disappeared, they reacted a moment later with a brilliant firework-esque explosion containing a shower of brown, green, and red sparks. As the explosion cleared, the outline of a woman could be seen.

Meanwhile on the collapsing ground, Mia was still trying to keep her edge. Isaac was still shrouded by his Psynergy as he was still in deep meditation – the summoning required every ounce of mental focus. The Mercury Djinni tried to put some ice around the two of them to slow down their fall further. Flint, on the other hand, was trying to harden the ground. The Djinn knew that their efforts would be in vain – but the mother and protector of the earth, Cybele, could come to the Adept's rescue.

Cybele appeared to them as a tender graceful silver-haired maiden dressed in a white Greek robe with a golden lion broach and attached with a red leaf to her hair. "I have heard your summons," Cybele said with a melodious soothing voice as she leaned forward to aid the Adepts.

Gracefully, she raised her arms in the air and produced a wondrous blue light between her palms. The blue light revealed a frog-like creature with two miniature tree-trunks that served as horns. Cybele lowered her arms and leaned her head forward until her mouth was close to the tree-frog. Then with a gentle blow, the tree-frog scurried forward and levitated in the air for a moment before it rushed down to the ground below and was unaffected by the razor thorns.

By then, Isaac and Mia would have already been halfway to the ground from where they fell – thanks to Mia's beyond-the-scale impatience. As their fall continued to steady, Cybele's pet began working on its magic. Slowly after agonizing seconds, the room started to brighten as eerie pale green fluorescent-glowing vines erupted around the area. Everywhere, the vines surrounded every bit of razor-sharp thorn it could entwine, destroying the blades with enough pressure with metallic snaps. Cybele's pet continued its work as more metallic snaps resounded throughout the cavern. When there were no more razor blades to deal with, the fluorescent-glowing vines sank beneath the ground, revealing a clear and smooth blade-less room. At the same time, Cybele vanished, leaving no trace of her presence.

His work done, Isaac returned to his senses and opened his eyes. The soil that had carried them ceased to slow down and let the two Adepts tumble to the floor. A mighty crash of barren soil and rocks came shortly, raining soil and stone over the Adepts – but the Adepts were protected by a protective dome that the two active Djinn conjured. When there was no more earth to fall, absolute silence reigned around the cavern until the two Adepts struggled to get to their feet.

"Brilliant idea," Mia said, apparently out of half-praise and half-sarcasm. Her annoyance and irritation hadn't settled down completely – but she still had to rely on Isaac's leadership if they were to survive. "You should have called Cybele while you were struggling to get up."

Isaac rolled his eyes. The illumination from the two still-active Djinni would clearly display their newfound disgust they had with each other. "It took a little while to call Cybele – and besides," he snapped his fingers in front of Mia to mock her, "we were in a ship, for Venus sake!"

"Just… get moving."

"Don't tell me what to do," Isaac mumbled. "And thanks for nearly sending us to death."

Mia seethed. "Thanks for what?" Her octave must have hit the end of the piano key. "We might have wasted valuable time arguing up there. It's actually good that I did something!"

The two Adepts continued arguing to a point that Flint had to intervene. He hopped into the air and then slammed on the ground. The result of the slam created two small stalagmites that erupted underneath the Adepts facing-off. The both of them crashed forward to the floor – Mia on top of Isaac.

"That's enough!" Flint sternly told them, annoyed. "Another bickering word out of you and I'll make sure that my vines will keep your mouth shut for the rest of your lives! Venus knows that you won't be going anywhere if all you do is argue."

Grumbling, Mia struggled to get off Isaac, who still felt dazed by the verbal ruckus. He didn't want this to happen, but reality bit him hard.

When the two Adepts were ready to continue – without their bickering – Flint briefed them once more on his investigation. According to the Venus Djinni, the well in the middle of the room was a little larger than most ordinary wells though it significantly smaller than the underground lake where they came from. Upon close observation, Isaac believed that this well was deep because he could not see the bottom of it. What would they do?

"I think we could send Fizz to investigate on its depths," Mia suggested as she turned to the Mercury Djinni that witnessed everything. "Fizz?"

Isaac nodded. He was wondering why Mia would suddenly become cooperative – possibly out of Flint's threat.

Fizz, the active Mercury Djinni, responded with a gallop then trotted along the stone floor past the two Adepts. He entered the water where it splashed around merrily (before Mia sternly told it to dive) then went underwater for its investigation, leaving the two Adepts illuminated by Flint's golden brown light.

Moments later, Fizz resurfaced.

"What did you find?" asked Mia.

The Mercury Djinni trotted out of the water and shook vigorously like a dog. "The water's quite chilly," Fizz briefed them, his girlish squeaky singsong voice echoing around the room. "Also, there's a very large underwater maze that seems to lead into something. The entrance is too small for any human to pass through but is big enough for Djinn to navigate around."

Isaac frowned. "Maybe somewhere in the underwater maze is something useful." He gave his own suggestion considerable thought.

Mia thought otherwise. "I'm inclined to think that we should search this area more thoroughly."

But even the investigation around the room yielded nothing.

"Revert back to the original plan?" Isaac said, trying not raise another verbal fighting session.

"Fine, but I still don't trust you," the Mercury Adept reluctantly agreed to the proposal as she brought out another of her Mercury Djinni, Sleet. After casting a cold look at the blonde-haired leader, she instructed Sleet to accompany Fizz down the water maze. Sleet joyfully obeyed as she followed Fizz into the water. The two Mercury Djinn submerged themselves until their bright blue glows faded from the cavern.

**Within the underwater labyrinth…**

"Hurry up, Sleet, Soldammit!"

Fizz had already entered the hole to the underwater labyrinth while Sleet was lagging behind. Sleet was probably adjusting to the chilly temperature – ironic seeing as that Sleet was encountered within a sheer cold environment such as the Mercury Lighthouse. The adventures throughout Angara might have let Sleet encounter a cold-hibernation stage. Or maybe Sleet was just playing around. She rarely had the chance to play around in water since she was a mischievous Djinni that loved to pick on other Djinn whenever the Djinn were sent out to roam or play.

"I'm coming, I'm coming," Sleet grumbled. A few seconds later, the mischievous Djinni joined her partner through the entrance hole.

"Listen up because I'm not going to repeat myself," Fizz told Sleet sternly. "This here is an underwater maze, and we have to find something useful for Isaac and Mia."

Sleet sighed. "I hate mazes. Thanks to that I ended up getting lost inside the lighthouse."

"Get a grip," Fizz barked and slapped the grumbling Djinni with his tail. "Just focus and we should be out of here in no time. Now let's go!"

Navigating through the underwater maze would have been a very difficult job even for Djinni because as the Djinn progressed, the spaces around them seemed to tighten.

"I'm claustrophobic," Sleet whimpered.

"Quit your yapping!" Fizz snapped. "Just follow me."

But even Fizz could not admit that being lost inside a labyrinth was just tantamount to getting the fear that something was watching from behind. While Sleet was claustrophobic, Fizz had a bad sense of direction. He mumbled something that Sleet didn't listen properly because it was muffling its fear. "Why did I go up for the job…?"

Left – right – straight down a fork – left again – right again – then going up a ledge… It would take them forever through the maze if they didn't know that they were going around in circles. What was worse was that Fizz only thought of creating miniature ice sculptures as landmarks in case they would need to go back to them. It was too late for them as they were hopelessly lost.

"I hate this," Sleet whimpered. "We're lost and there's nothing we could do!"

Fizz was a little optimistic. "We have to keep moving. We'll find something eventually."

They had no idea on how massive the labyrinth was. Fizz hoped that the labyrinth was no wider than the room where the razor thorns were. The only problem now was the depth of the maze – and that was what the Djinn could not fathom. But so far so good, they had been in the same level of the maze for quite some time. They were bound to find something soon…

"Over there," Sleet tugged at Fizz's tail and used its head to point to a new direction.

Fizz had passed a fork and turned left, but Sleet found something at the right side. The corridors could only be illuminated from the glow of the Djinn but something there was faintly illuminated by another source of light. What Fizz saw there made it equally curious. "Let's go check."

Cautiously, the two Djinn went down the tight corridor and approached the unusual thing – something that they never came across in the maze.

"What is that?" Sleet asked, wondering if triggering it would cause any good or harm.

"It's a lever," Fizz answered, "but it's too large for one of us to pull down."

The lever was twice the length of the two Djinn combined. It was at the end of the corridor inside a quite larger room – which made the claustrophobic Sleet a little more comfortable. The room was faintly illuminated by one of the sparkling crystals similar to those wedged on the cavernous ceilings on the first floor.

"Reckon we should pull it down?" Sleet asked.

Fizz stayed silent. He was contemplating the things that can possibly happen if they pulled down the lever. "_Maybe the whole cave around us will collapse. Maybe some secret door will open up for Isaac and Mia to progress through. Maybe it might reveal the sharp thorns that Cybele destroyed earlier. Or maybe it might do something that we won't expect. Maybe it might help shut Sleet up its muffled fear and whimpering?_" On the other hand, the lever seemed to be tempting Fizz for it to touch. "_Who wouldn't want to pull it down?_"

Aroused by the funny sensation, Fizz told Sleet to lend him a hand.

"I'll try to pull it down, you try to push it."

The two Mercury Djinn got to work. Just the way Fizz instructed, Fizz was gripping the lever with his tail while Sleet was above the tip of the lever for some pushing momentum.

"On three," Fizz told Sleet. "One… two… three!"

**Back on the surface…**

"How long have they been down there?" Mia asked.

She and Isaac had been sitting on the ground opposite each other across the well. Flint, being the moody Djinni, was eyeing the two Adepts carefully; he acted as the peacemaker for the both of them. If ever things got out of hand between the both of them, Flint would be there to stop them. Judging by the seating positions of the two of them, it seemed that they weren't on friendly terms yet – which could pose a problem.

"Quite some time," Isaac answered, his voice magnified throughout the room. "Probably about the time it took us to fight Saturos."

The painful memory of failing to fulfill her primary duty still stung Mia. She embarked on the quest in the hopes that she would still be given a final chance to be spared some swift divine vengeance. As a cleric, Mia was expected to be the mediator when her three male companions would lose control of their emotions. But being with Isaac alone – agitated as he was – Mia found this to be a personal trial.

"Hey, Mia?"

Mia exhaled. "What is it?"

"I was just wondering," Isaac spoke thoughtfully. Judging by his voice, he didn't seem to bear malice on what he would say next. "Well, I was too occupied in this quest that I really didn't have the chance to ask you something."

"What is it?" Mia repeated, trying to keep her cool.

"I'm quite curious about Imil, being strict with its standards and all – especially with your role as the Mercury Lighthouse guardian," Isaac said. "But what I don't understand about you is your quest. I mean, why would you want to join us?"

The Mercury Adept frowned and tucked her head between her knees. "Are you implying that you would be better off without me?"

Isaac didn't mean to mean what he said. "N-No! It's just that ever since we left Imil after failing to complete our task in the Mercury Lighthouse, you've been…" Isaac searched for the right word to describe Mia's situation, "… much in the backdoor lately – as if you're just a support character."

"Of course I am," Mia responded, seemingly proud of her role in the group. "If you didn't have a focus-healer, you'd be long dead before you could say 'Xian.'"

Isaac chuckled. "Well, I'm not implying anything about your role. But I'm really more interested to learn about your personal reasons for joining us in our quest."

This was met by a stoic silence from the other side of the well, with waters still pitch-black with no sign of the returning Mercury Djinn. Isaac could not bear to know what Mia was thinking. She had her personal reasons after all – she admitted having these reasons when she was reluctant to leave Imil in the care of her trainees, Justin and Megan. And since they were personal, Mia was bound to keep them there, unless she wanted to spill it all out.

"Okay," Isaac said, believing that he wouldn't get a straight answer. "It's your choice, and I'll have to respect it."

In the void-like silence, Isaac could hear the steady dripping of water from the area where they came from. He counted drops just to keep himself busy while waiting for the Mercury Djinni to come up with some useful information. Over the steady breathing and his stable heartbeat, he listened attentively and counted in his head the water drops – ten, twenty, fifty, one-hundred… The drops fell quite quickly and Isaac did not want to lose count. He closed his eyes to focus – clear away any inviting distractions.

"When I was a child," Mia squeaked, catching Isaac's attention and making him lose track of his mental counting, "I had very few friends. They would think that I was a freak because I possessed healing properties and I could make ice come out from the air." She shuffled her legs so that she could sit comfortably and face Isaac at the same time. "I could not play outside because I was always being lectured by the elders about the sacred texts handed by generations of the Mercury Clan – the genesis there being the roles of the Mercury Lighthouse guardian. I was restricted to life living in the north with chances of spending the rest of my days there." Her recollection was like relieving an antithetically memory for Isaac. "Eventually as I grew up, I became accustomed to it. Even though it was the same boring routine I had to go through every day, I believed that this was just one of the things I had to do in order to be full-fledged Mercury protector."

"Mercury protector?" Isaac clarified

Mia sighed. "The people of Imil have passed down lineages of Mercury Adepts, my parents included. Alex, too. Mercury Adepts are given the title of Mercury protector if their roles and contributions have been recognized for the better of the people throughout Weyard."

Isaac was reminded of the ire he bore for Alex during their confrontation atop Mercury Lighthouse. Even now, he wasn't sure of Alex's full intentions other than Alex sided with the enemies to get the Lighthouses operational – for what specific purpose, for what reasonable end, for what justifiable means?

"The night before we left Imil, after I announced my leave of duties to Justin and Megan, my grandmother called me and told me something," Mia shared.

**Flashback in Imil a few months ago…**

"_What is it, Grandma?" Mia said as she approached her grandparents, seated cozily by the fireplace. Her grandmother had instructed one of the elders who dropped by earlier that afternoon and requested Mia to come alone._

_Mia's grandmother, an elderly woman who had hit her prime age ready for the second life, summoned her closer. "Stay by the fire, dear."_

_The cleric approached the elderly couple. The steps from her boots cluttered on the wood as she went across the single-room home and placed her staff on the round table. Mia was wondering what her grandmother might say, though she felt certain it had something to do with her journey and her responsibilities as a Mercury Adept. There was an empty stool between the two elders; Mia sat down on it._

"_Mia, you probably know by now why I called you here," her grandmother started, keeping her tone calm and composed – the product of a lifetime full of worries and a lifetime spent on building optimism above cold ground._

_Just to clarify, Mia answered, "Does it concern about me leaving town?"_

_Her grandmother was sitting on a rocking chair to Mia's left. She had been doing nothing except stare into the fire or onto the dim space of the house. In old age, this was a privilege. Mia's grandfather was snoozing to her right – a warm quilt had been placed over his lap. He had been cured from the sickness, which he might have succumbed if it weren't for the Hermes waters that Mia provided when the Adepts returned after the encounter atop the Lighthouse Aerie._

"_Though we're both happy and sad that the Mercury Lighthouse has been lit, we're concerned about what will happen to you."_

"_I've made up my mind, Grandma," Mia said. "I… I'm not fit for the task anymore. I failed my duties as a guardian. I have shamed the town which I could not even protect. I could not stop the people who were bent on violating the sacred rules of the town… even Alex… Alex…" She almost broke into tears as she buried her face in her gloved hands._

"_That's enough, dear," her grandmother told her gently. She raised a frail arm and comforted her granddaughter with soft pats on the back while she allowed her granddaughter to let loose the tears that defined her failure. "Your life has not been a failure and will never become one." When she saw that Mia looked up with tears still forming from her eyes, she continued. "Somehow, it has been destiny that led you to this. Many of our people have wanted to leave Imil so that they could spread some peace around the world. But their roles as Mercury Lighthouse guardians have kept them bound to the town."_

_Mia wiped the tears from her eyes and sniffed before her grandmother continued._

"_While the Hermes Fountain flows, you should not be worrying about us. Though we are concerned about you, we know that you will survive the ordeal. You have strong and brave warriors by your side. And you have us rooting for you all the way."_

"_But how do you know, Grandma? How do you know that I will survive?"_

_Her grandmother smiled as her wrinkled face sported the merry look that seemed to have a calming effect on Mia. "Have you forgotten what Mercury has taught you? 'It's all in the heart and mind–"_

"'–_that your deepest desires will be fulfilled.'" Mia finished._

"_Throughout your journey, you must remain focused and strong," her grandmother advised. "Your calm and compassionate nature serves as a frontline for optimism, and I urge you to bring that with you all the time whatever the situation."_

**Present day…**

"But throughout the journey," Mia finished her tale, "I've been nothing but on the… backdoor of the party."

"H-Hey! That's not true!"

"It is!" Mia snapped, her voice cracking under emotional tense. Flint was acting up to quell the situation if things got out of hand again. "You don't know what it's like when all you have to do is watch and heal the group when they go down. I've been risking life and limb throughout this journey just to know where I'm really headed. I've been trying to be calm, to be sincere, to be optimistic… but all I end up for all my actions is this situation where my stupidity and my misplacement of judgment…" Mia could not finish because she felt someone push her to the ground. She landed softly but was surprised to look up at the one who had assaulted – in a manner of speaking – her. "I-Isaac? What is wrong with you?"

"There's nothing wrong with me," Isaac answered, his tone forceful yet charismatic. "You're the one who sees a lot of wrong in yourself. Did you forget what your grandmother taught you?" He was trying to snap Mia out of the negative whirlwind thoughts that plagued her mind.

Mia sobbed, unable to move. She was in a state of complete shock, but she also felt as if she had been aroused from a very long sleep – the awakening from a sudden realization somehow hit her.

Isaac crouched on the ground next to Mia and comforted her by placing his left hand on her shoulder. "In this team, nobody is a backdoor. Everyone has a role equally important of everyone else." She looked up and all the doubts vanished, replaced by the sensational feeling of comfort which she longed for ever since she left her town for bigger responsibilities. "Nobody is above anyone else. We are embarking on a quest because we are the one last hope for the world. If there are people who will have to suffer and perish before our quest is completed, then our actions alone can only magnify the faults. Mia, as a healer and as a caster, you've done exceptionally well. Your battle styles have improved and even your reflexes have sharpened. I must admit that I was surprised when you neatly sidestepped the Hydros Statue's Froth Sphere and reacted swiftly – I couldn't even get past half of the number of bubble barrages."

"But then again, that was because of the Mars Djinni you had, making you a little sluggish," Mia recalled, chuckling afterwards. Her heart had been lightened, her mind a little more free-spirited.

Isaac laughed heartily and continued, "Even so, Mia. We're all in the same world. We share all the world's problems and all the world's solutions. Nothing happens by accident because things are bound to happen soon even if we are quite unconscious of it." With a more confident attitude, he declaimed, "Garet and Ivan will come, I'm sure of it." He paused and took a deep breath. "For now, we should trust each other. And… we should believe that we can survive. It's all in the heart and mind–"

"–that your deepest desires will be fulfilled." Mia repeated an exact reformation of events that transpired months ago. Her grandmother's wisdom had never been extinguished from whatever life's lessons Mia would continue to learn from as she went on with her journey around a group of people she had accepted to call as friends. With a silent prayer to Mercury for thanks and guidance, she smiled knowing that there was hope after all.


	3. Discoveries Above and Beneath

**EPISODE 1: FADING HOP****E (continuation)**

**PART 3: DISCOVERIES ABOVE AND BENEATH**

Isaac was alerted as he stood up and unsheathed his sword. "Stay on guard," he told Mia. With the command, Mia stood up and gripped her staff. The two of them prepared themselves in case they would have to fight or encounter something. Isaac explained hastily that he heard a click from somewhere followed by a rumbling sound from afar. Had the Mercury Djinn found something in their investigation?

"I reckon Fizz and Sleet must have activated something," Isaac thought.

"We best be ready if something's bound to happen," Mia said.

The two of them stayed close as they patrolled the near-total black area – the center of which was illuminated by Flint's golden brown glow. They adjusted their eyes so that they could see well through the darkness. Immediately, Isaac located the rubble from where they had fallen out of Mia's irritation.

The place became silent for a while as the Adepts listened to their and each other's labored breathing. Something at the back of Isaac's mind told him that something was coming – a monster, perhaps.

"_Do not fight._"

Isaac nearly jolted. He heard something. "Did you hear that?"

Mia turned around, seemingly bewildered. "I didn't hear anything," she answered.

"_How could she not hear it?_" Isaac thought. That was when he remembered the melodious voice telling him not to surface and go deeper. It was a soothing melody, but Isaac felt as if the song was trying to deceive him. Though the first instructions of the song saved their lives and had them end up inside the unknown cave, Isaac could only guess about what they were about to face – and pray that the voice was indeed protecting them.

Meanwhile, Mia seemed flustered. Isaac was hearing something what she could not even hear – not even another slight sound aside from the soft drips on the other cave could be made out. "_No, I should focus. If we're going to face something, then there's no more time for me to decide._" If they were going to encounter a battle, Mia thought, she would have to stand ready.

That was when they felt something tremble from underneath. Flint hovered in the air and scanned the surroundings.

"I'm sensing some Psynergy activity going on," the Venus Djinni announced.

"I can feel it too," Isaac agreed. "This is not the work of some natural activity."

It took Mia a while to sense it – not being a Venus Adept. "It's headed this way – and I don't think it's from any of our Mercury Djinni."

This made Isaac realize something. "Could this be…?"

Before he could finish, the ground underneath them trembled violently. The tremor caught them by surprise such that Mia stumbled and Isaac nearly toppled. He used his end of the blade of sword to break the fall but he had to manage it by kneeling on one leg.

"Flint, what's going on?" Isaac alerted the Venus Djinni.

"I can sense a very strong wave of Venus Psynergy from nearby," Flint answered as he scurried around the area to make a quick inspection on where the source of the tremors was. "I'll look around."

The ground continued shaking violently – and it just became more violent every second. Isaac feared that if the tremor didn't stop, the entire cave would collapse and the two of them might be caved in. Even if they survived, they would suffocate unless Isaac had enough strength to unleash his Psynergy, which could save them. Yet, there were also possibilities to encounter. If the entire area did cave in, this would cause the seawater to spill from above. Maybe the Psynergy barrier could save them a third time, but they might be exhausted to focus if the rocks caved on them – they might even die from the impact of the heavier-than-tons debris on their heads. Or maybe that something might erupt from the bottom. It couldn't be anything magma or anything fiery for the matter because the area where they were felt cool. But what could erupt from out of the ground? A massive monster? An earth formation? Or what if something did erupt from the ground, causing the place to collapse? The numerous possibilities almost exhausted Isaac, until he was reassured by the same melody he heard from moments ago.

"_Do not be afraid. It is on your side._"

He had become attached to the voice inside his head and he almost felt as if he could trust it. Slowly, he stood up using his sword to support his balance.

"Take my hand," Isaac instructed Mia, still shaken from the tremor. He reached out a hand.

Mia saw this as a sign of helpfulness, the contempt that they had for each other back then might have disappeared. Or there was really no other option for her. Either thought, she grasped Isaac's hand, got up, and thanked him. Like Isaac, she used her staff to support herself.

Seconds later, the ground erupted and something emerged, sending a wave of soil and stones around the room. Flint was hit by one of the projectiles, but his fall softened as he smacked into Isaac's head. Isaac yelped in pain and tumbled backward but denied the pain as he was preoccupied by the curiosity of what came to meet them or what they would have to encounter. Even in the semi-darkness, a thin layer of dust filled the room. The two Adepts had to cover their noses and mouths.

As the situation settled – the tremor stopped, the danger ceased, the suspense rebuilding – Isaac stood up and stared into the direction of what seemed to be a pair of two green circles, moving… _eyeing_ cautiously at them. What piqued their curiosity even further was that based on the size of the green circles the creature could be a small one but wickedly powerful enough to deal damage, evidenced by the destructive force it did as it emerged from the ground. If it was a creature, Isaac and Mia would have to fight it.

"Who are you?" a monstrous voice issued from the darkness. The green circles had narrowed down as if it were glaring. "What do you want?"

Isaac and Mia were frozen in their places. Even as Isaac gripped the handle of his sword and was ready to swing to defend himself and Mia was more than prepared to cast a spell that would attack or defend, they were unsure about the best course of action at this moment. Should they answer.

"I said who are you?" the monster snapped.

Isaac gritted his teeth and tried his luck. "My name is Isaac. I'm a Venus Adept."

The monster grunted. "A Venus Adept. Not so many of them exist in this world. Only the well-known ones are from Vale and across the Eastern Sea."

"I hail from Vale and am tasked on a mission by the Wise One to retrieve the Elemental Stars that were stolen…" Isaac explained in a straightforward manner that he did not want to provoke any unnecessary confrontation. He stopped abruptly as he was bound not to disclose any further details.

There was a creepy silence – the patting of water drops could not even been heard. At that moment, Isaac became fully conscious to the chill of the underground cavern. The feeling of being surprised overwhelmed him, but Isaac remained patient for a response. He watched the pair of green eyes toddle left and right on the surroundings as if it could see through the darkness.

"Why didn't you say so?" the monster said.

Isaac and Mia were dumbfounded on the monster's sudden change in attitude.

Flint stepped forward. "You're quite familiar."

"Flint?" The monster seemed to recognize the Venus Djinni.

Isaac rounded. "Since when were you on a first-name basis?"

The Djinni hovered in the air and then demanded the monster, "Show yourself."

No more than a second after Isaac turned around when he noticed that the pair of green angry eyes disappeared, to be replaced a moment later by a size-tolerable orb of golden brown light that resembled somewhat to Flint's. And that's when Isaac realized.

"So it was you," he told it. "You were the one who created the tremors."

"That's right." Isaac and Mia flinched at the sudden change of tone – from a monstrous unwelcoming voice to a childish and innocent one. "My name is Bane, and I'm a Venus Djinni, just like Flint there."

When Flint's name was called, he hovered over to where Bane was. "Bane, you fool!" Following its outburst, Flint did a full body charge onto his fellow Venus Djinni – causing Bane to be knocked down to the floor and near the hole where it came out. "Of all the places that you could hide from following the eruption, you came here?"

Bane got up and floated in the air to meet Flint Djinni-to-Djinni. "I was trying to get across the sea since Crystal won't let me follow her to the north. I just… ended up here and then… I got lost…" The more Bane narrated his story, the more he was about to cry. "I tried looking for a way out… but the mazes kept on changing… and… I saw…" Bane broke down into a baby-like cry as its shrilly ridiculously loud sound almost shook the cave.

"Somebody make him stop!" Mia cried out, her hands over her ears.

Isaac had no choice. While enduring the screech, he gripped his sword then struck the blade on the ground. Infusing some of his Psynergy onto his weapon, Isaac applied some force on his strike such that a small column rose out from the ground and knocked Bane into the air.

"Bane, stop!" Isaac commanded.

The crybaby Venus Djinni whimpered and sniffed as it recovered from the impact and answered a shaky "yes."

Mia turned back to where the well was and was slightly disappointed that the two Mercury Djinni hadn't returned from their investigation. She was becoming more worried – especially when she knew that Fizz was a bit of a scatterbrain especially in directions, and Sleet was too much of a merry creature to be sent on an important matter. Yet, she had exhausted her other Djinni while fighting the kraken earlier and only Fizz and Sleet were set on her when she was hurled overboard the ship. By now, her other Djinni would have been completely recovered – but she did not want to risk sending out another of her Djinn to search for the two Mercury Djinni, possibly hopelessly trapped inside the aquatic labyrinth.

Meanwhile, Isaac had other things to worry about. He had to know if Bane was on their side. The music he listened to earlier told him "something was on their side." Isaac understood the subject of that message to be Bane himself. Still gripping his sword and not letting his defense down, he approached the two Venus Djinni – Flint eyeing cautiously at the still-shaken and still-whimpering Bane.

"Tell me," Isaac crouched and gently spoke to Bane, who felt ashamed and somewhat embarrassed. "What was it that you saw when you were in this place?"

Bane looked up beadily. "I… I saw something… no – _someone_ – going around this place." When Bane stressed the word "someone," Isaac perked up. He was intent to learn more as he listened to Bane's story attentively. "I couldn't really tell because I was hiding myself for most of the time. But… but it was holding a very big sword and was in heavy armor."

Isaac nodded. "Did you check if it was guarding something? Or anything?"

Bane bobbed its head up and down as a sign of affirmation. "Somewhere not far from here is an abandoned pirate ship… I don't know how it got there in the first-place. It's teeming with ghosts, but judging from that someone usually patrolling this area, there's bound to be a lot of treasure."

A spark of inspiration formed in Isaac's mind. "Treasure…"

"Are there other Djinni besides yourself?" Flint asked.

"Nope," Bane answered. "I've been here for a while and I couldn't feel the presence of any other Djinni."

At that point, Isaac was wondering whether to take Bane into the party. The addition of a new Djinni would mean enhanced power, greater reflexes, empowered defense, and possible new skills.

"_Who wouldn't?_"

The level of annoyance suddenly escalated when Isaac heard the song speaking to him, apparently reading his mind.

"What does this mean, Isaac?" Mia asked as she approached the troubled Adept. "What's Bane trying to say?"

Isaac took a few deep breaths as he tried to understand the situation. While Bane could be a useful addition to the team, his presence and information just induced a new kind of fear that Isaac never expected. He had thought for the entire time that they were wandering around the cavern that there would be nothing for them to encounter as long as they could find a way out. But Bane's know-hows around the area served as a blessing for the Adepts. Yet, the new kind of fear Isaac harbored for the place was one that he could not fathom.

"We're not alone," he told Mia gravely.

**In Tolbi's docks, inside the ship…**

While Garet and Ivan were relieved that the ship arrived in Tolbi – though they did not receive the gratitude of the passengers – the two Adepts were still troubled that no sign of Isaac or Mia has been found. They always said to themselves that their companions were alive – just missing at most. The captain promised that they would conduct a search-and-rescue, but according to him – given the ship's damage and the monstrous conditions of the sea – it would take a few days of repairing and briefing before they would go all out to search for the missing Adepts.

"Wouldn't it be easy for Mia to track navigation direction?" Ivan wondered.

Garet shrugged. "Beats me… Something tells me that they're not really moving from where they could be."

The Jupiter Adept was curious. "Does this mean that they're unconscious?"

Knowing Isaac, he would do anything to ensure survival – even if it meant pushing himself to his limits just to save others. "I don't have anything to say," Garet said honestly. He didn't want to worry Ivan.

Left inside the captain's deck, the two of them discussed intently on what they could do to and how they could rescue Isaac and Mia. They made little progress – the first major obstacle to overcome was locating them in the middle of the monster-infested sea. "Still, it doesn't make things any easier even after defeating the kraken," Ivan justified. "The Karagol Sea is a wide place. Looking for them is like searching for a needle in a haystack."

Garet frowned. "That must be a very big haystack – or a very small needle, two to be exact."

The door opened and the captain went inside. He seemed distraught.

"What's the matter, captain?" Ivan asked worriedly.

The captain scratched his head and settled down on the stool beside the steering wheel. "Some major exterior damages," he told them gruffly. After calming himself, he continued with the update, "The mast needs to be repaired and we'll need to replace the sails if ever we're going to go out and find your companions. Other than that, everything else just needs minor repairing."

"How long will it take?" Garet inquired.

"Probably three days," the captain answered grimly.

"Three days?" Garet outburst, but Ivan held the hotheaded Adept back. "By then, they will be dead!"

"Not unless they're clever to survive in that isle."

Ivan turned to Garet, who found this equally confusing. "What isle?" the Jupiter Adept responded. He was ready to use Mind Read in case the captain would be unresponsive.

"The mysterious uninhabited place known as Crossbone Isle," the captain answered immediately. As he said this, he had an enigmatic expression that painted dread and trepidation. "While I was sailing the ship on one past occasion, a strong wind blew the ship off-course that we somehow ended up on an islet in the middle of the sea. We had to dock there until the wind and waters became calmer. I tried looking for the island again using the same bearings that I registered when we arrived at the island."

Ivan frowned. "Let me guess, you never found the island."

"Not only that," added the captain. "Whenever the ship would approach the designated location, a fog would enshroud it from out of nowhere. You could imagine the kind of surprise I harbored when the thick mist just appeared from out of nowhere in the middle of a bright and sunny day. I am inclined to think that this is the work of the Tainted Ocean."

The leads to finding Isaac and Mia had just considerably widened.

"Even if your friends are in that isle, searching for it alone will be an incredibly difficult job – but not impossible. If ever we encounter Crossbone Isle, I suggest that you start searching for them right away."

Ivan noticed how the captain was saying all of this. "Captain, I just noticed that you're using 'we' when you're addressing this issue." He became fairly suspicious. "Is there a good reason on why you're searching for Crossbone Isle?"

The captain stood up and went over to the large barrel where his anchor charm was placed. He picked it up, pocketed it before turning back to the two Adepts, and answered, "This is simply speculation – but one that I am almost perfectly sure as my logic is concerned. Trefellgjen's lair, I'm inclined to believe out of the enigmatic journey of Raveneye, is Crossbone Isle itself."

**Later that night…**

A peaceful night fell on Tolbi. The days before the awaited annual Colosso were marked by merriment and expectation. Champions of the said event came and gone and little of their names were remembered throughout history. Cheers of the townspeople and tourists from other lands marked the bustling activity in the city that many of the inns were fully booked. Garet and Ivan did not decide against camping out in the city's outskirts near the port. It was cost-effective and they were already used to it during their travels throughout Angara.

But they were worried. The captain said that it would take three days for the ship to be repaired before it would be in good condition to be sailed out in the sea. The Colosso event would be held in five days. Given the number of days it would take for the ship to be fixed, a considerable estimate of time of a trip to the mirage Crossbone Isle and back to Tolbi, add in a few amount of time searching for the island, and a considerable amount of time to find Isaac and Mia and to escape the isle – without any setbacks as default measures, it would take at least a week and a half for the Adepts to make it back to Tolbi safely. They would miss most of the preliminary parts of the tournament. But it was of no concern to them.

"How did we even get into this mess?" Garet spoke woefully, the stress of having to find their friends seemed to add the burden of thinking straight.

Ivan was equally burdened and he wanted the delay to get it over with. "Can't we even help the captain? Repair the ship or something?"

"That's a negative."

Earlier, the two Adepts insisted that they could help repair the ship. The captain, however, refused, seeing that the repairing job had to be left to the crewmen and that Garet and Ivan were exhausted from their battle with the kraken. The captain was serious in letting the two Adepts go while the ship would be repaired; but he did not deny that they would go out to sea to search for the missing Adepts. When the captain said that he had his reasons, Ivan took his cue to Mind Read. Unfortunately for Ivan, the captain's thoughts were too blurry that Ivan could only make out a few words that didn't seem to make sense together, "_Crossbone… Trefellgjen… Colosso… Karagol… records._"

"What should we do, then?" Ivan asked Garet. They huddled around a campfire that Garet had let one of his Mars Djinni do to start the fire.

Garet could not craft a good idea at the moment. He rested his head between his buckled knees.

Night slowly passed and things were getting dimmer for them. Hope, which had been the driving factor of their own reasons for embarking such a dangerous journey, suddenly became an anti-thesis for them to become driven with depression. The fire didn't seem very comfortable to the both of them, but that was the least of their worries. They could only summon the near-useless hope that Isaac and Mia, somewhere out there in the sea, were still alive and struggling.

"You know, there was one thing that was unusual in what I picked up from the captain," Ivan muttered after a considerable time of silence between them. Garet looked up and looked at Ivan across the flickering flame. "He said something about 'records,' though I'm not really sure what it means."

Garet frowned. "Records huh… I didn't see anything that resembled something like a book or scroll in the ship."

Maybe there was a lead after all, as Ivan perked with some level of anticipation. "We should look around Tolbi if we could find any good information… The captain said in his story about the Tainted Ocean that the people from Tolbi witnessed the event that was too beholding to witness."

"But that was a very long time ago," countered Garet. "You wouldn't expect someone to remember those details."

Despite Garet's counterargument, Ivan grinned. "No," he said firmly. "The captain could remember everything – including Raveneye's background, journey, and also the supposed final battle with Trefellgjen in the middle of the Karagol. Someone else has to be affiliated with the story." It wasn't a convincing measure, though Ivan scored some points in influencing Garet.

"Alright, we should try to search for any information in Tolbi tomorrow," Garet affirmed his decision. "Let's get some sleep."

Deep into the night, the merriment ceased, replaced by a period of slumber lifted by daybreak. Buildings in Tolbi when viewed from its outskirts were like candles arranged in a complex yet beautiful formation. Nightfall came first, then darkness arrived swiftly. Many were sleeping soundly in their beds, while patrolling city guards were going about their peacekeeping duties. When daybreak came, it would be another busy day for Tolbi as the people would prepare to witness the much awaited Colosso.

The situation was a little different in Tolbi's docks. Many fishermen received the news that the monster of the sea had been killed by people wielding strange powers. This brought good news to them since the decline of the majority of the fish population was caused by the appearance of the kraken ever since the Mt. Aleph massive volcanic eruption. Apparently, the fishing village where the docks was erupted in glee: when the kraken reigned the sea, the people were terrified to go out to sea at night. Many foolish people that did so would meet their lives' ends, as they would wake the people up in the middle of the night with their ear-splitting screams.

An elderly couple met this news with rendering joy, though even the forbearance of fortune would not bring their son back. Their son, a local fisherman, was the first victim of the unfortunate events – and ever since then when nobody still knew the cause of the mysterious death, people were fearing or daring the creature that lived at the bottom of the sea. From that incident, numerous ships that have sailed across the Karagol had been destroyed and had been sunk – with very minimum or no survivors at all. The lucky ones – the ones whose wheel of fates could not be dealt with – returned to shore to spread the news of the incredibly rare sighting of the sea monster.

While this caused widespread fear and panic among the villages surrounding the Karagol, this also attracted some foolish adventurers and seafarers that wanted to see the kraken up close. Some of them returned proudly alive but have not seen the creature. Very few came back horrified when they saw the shadow of what seemed to be a giant sea monster, possibly the kraken but unconfirmed. One of the accounts though was labeled as very bizarre.

A seafarer by the name of Gotsnya living in the town of Madra, down far south, recorded an account of a mirage isle. He found nothing special about the isle at first and passed it by. But when Gotsnya's curiosity was piqued, he decided to turn around and head back to where the isle was… only to find out that the isle wasn't there anymore. Baffled, Gotsnya continued searching for the isle until he was surrounded by a thick fog and eventually found the isle he was looking for. Curious, he stepped onto the isle. He found out that the isle was lifeless – while it seemed like there are numerous plants when seen from afar, everything was just an illusion. The isle was barren and filled with rocks and stony hills. According to Gotsnya, there was some sort of a massive stone pillar that dominated part of the island. One part was carved with symbols that Gotsnya did not recognize.

Gotsnya's story was relayed across the Karagol and almost throughout Angara until someone from the town of Champa in southern Angara recalled the story of the famed battle between Raveneye and Trefellgjen, known as the Tainted Ocean.

What Gotsnya must have encountered might have been Trefellgjen's lair.

But seafarers and pirates across Weyard heard the story differently. Up until a few decades ago, they usually had the story that the most infamous pirate of all of Weyard known as Deadbeard resided in the Karagol sea and was said to lurk around the sea, looking for any competent pirate to challenge it in fair battle. Should Deadbeard be defeated, the one that bested it would be allowed to loot whatever treasures Deadbeard looted throughout the course of its journey. Also, if Deadbeard would be defeated, the pirates throughout Weyard would recognize the slayer as the king of pirates and would be looking for the one that bested Deadbeard. Deadbeard was said to have an incredible array of powers that feared the bravest of warriors and the mightiest of combatants.

All these information Garet and Ivan acquired the next day. They concluded what many others also harbored:

"_Was it possible, then, that the fearsome pirate-raider named Trefellgjen was also the same as the legendary Deadbeard?_"

**The next day in Tolbi…**

The next day while searching for any useful information, Garet and Ivan met a former Colosso participant. According to him, the Colosso had an underground museum that was open to the public throughout the year. The museum held artifacts, scrolls, tablets, and many resources regarding the Colosso event. It also boasted a collection of numerous weapons and armor from the Colosso participants. The Colosso underground museum also had a separate section about the history of Tolbi, the accounts of the Karagol sea, including a partial account of the Tainted Ocean.

Grateful and curious, Garet and Ivan headed into the Colosso arena, where numerous people were gathered for a presentation speech by Tolbi's mayor's representative.

"Let's listen in," Ivan suggested, hoping that they could extract something useful.

The two of them squeezed through the crowd while they listened to the representative's speech attentively.

"… three more days until the famed event Colosso. I hope all the aspiring participants here are well-aware that today is the last day of application and registration." The crowd applauded and the representative waited for the applause to settle down before continuing. "The matter of the Karagol sea has been delivered to me – the fearsome kraken that reigned at the bottom of the sea has been defeated by a band of warriors and…" he looked down at the podium to consult his notes. Even before the representative could utter another word, Garet and Ivan knew what the representative would be going to say. "… a band of Adepts hailing from central Angara, possibly from the village of Vale."

At this point, widespread murmurs spread across the crowd. The two Adepts looked at each other. Garet, who was used to recognition, held himself back. He did not forget that it was Ivan who struck the killing blow by conjuring his most powerful summon, Thor. He was just as curious as Ivan on what the representative had to say.

"While this brings good tidings to all of us, this also invites some caution," the representative continued, his tone serious. "Until we confirm from the local naval authorities that the sea is deemed safe to travel, we advise the fishermen in the villages surrounding the Karagol not to venture out at sea. This is for everyone's safety." He consulted his notes. "Apparently, there has also been a landslide in the path from Kalay to Tolbi. Whatever caused the landslide is also unknown as authorities are investigating it."

Garet and Ivan made their way out of the crowd and into less compressed air.

"Looks like Saturos and Menardi's party are doing everything to hamper our progress," Ivan concluded.

"Did you Mind Read the representative's mind?"

Ivan smiled. "As a matter of fact, I did get some more disturbing news out from him." Before Garet could ask, Ivan listed them all. "The ruler of Tolbi has been distraught from some official matters. Also, local enforcers here were able to apprehend a band of strange-looking people but they fled. Somehow, the enforcers' memories of such encounter had been wiped clean."

Garet frowned. "Must be Alex's work… Anyway, that's the least of our worries now."

"True… knowing Saturos and Menardi, we wouldn't even stand a chance against them even if it was two-on-two… not counting Alex."

Breaking away from the rest of the crowd, the two Adepts continued their fact-finding as they headed to the Colosso building. It was a majestic wide building that screamed and boasted of magnificence. They could not fathom how fascinating the architecture was until they stepped foot inside it.

"Wow," Ivan said breathlessly when they stepped into the main hall.

Never throughout Angara had Garet and Ivan seen such a beautifully complex work of architecture. Many of the columns were inspired by Kalay's column designs as the Adepts had seen when they were inside Lord Hammet's castle. The ceiling was filled with numerous amounts of spike-like formations that felt like stalactites in a cave. Even with the formation that seemed to look dangerous, one could not help but be awe-inspired at the aestheticism of Colosso's architecture. The cement walls had been neatly furnished for the event. Neat arrangement of flowers lined up near the high ceiling as a welcoming gesture for spectators.

Garet and Ivan found a glass-sealed sketch of the map of the Colosso arena near the entrance. Using the information about the underground library, it seemed that they would have to walk around a considerable perimeter to the East entrance (they were at the South entrance) before going in and taking a left at a corridor from said entrance before they could move down into the museum. And this was what they did.

"No wonder it's an underground museum," Ivan said when they reached the bottom of the stairs. It was quite a long descent.

"I guess they really took it seriously," Garet mumbled.

The underground museum was well-lit despite the closed-wall environment. A few people were here in the open space, looking around or equally fascinated by some of the Colosso relics. One of them seemed to look like a scholar, almost resembling Kraden. It felt very much different than the aesthetic environment provided in the main halls of the entrances. The underground museum to the Adepts felt as if a killer ape or even a wild monster could be around to pounce on them.

Garet and Ivan spread out to look for any sources that the former Colosso participant shared to them earlier. What he said was true – the underground museum did contain a handful of history, including Colosso relics, its weapons, and its treasures. One section of the museum had an interesting puzzle-esque room that was controlled by a guard: anyone who could find a way to escape the room would receive the famed Burning Axe either as a collector's item or as a weapon suited to the winner's taste.

"Should we have a go at it?" Garet asked Ivan as they approached the guard, a muscular kempt man who felt as if he was destined to be chained to his job.

Ivan shrugged.

"You guys looking for a challenge for the Burning Axe?" the guard said to them, his voice hoarse and ineffably drunk.

"W-We're just looking around," Ivan answered nervously.

The guard rolled his eyes, not amused. "Kids like you nowadays shouldn't be wandering alone by yourselves. Loiter too much and Trefellgjen could be out for your bodies." He said this as he flashed a sinister toothy smile, causing Garet's temper to flare.

"Who are you calling a kid?" Garet was about to land a punch, but Ivan conjured a little whirlwind that pulled Garet back.

"Let's just go," Ivan said as he grabbed Garet by the collar and dragged him back into the open.

Feeling relieved to be away from the dose of intimidation, the two of them continued on their hunt for useful information. They did not forget that it was all so that they could get leads on the whereabouts of their two washed away friends, who might still be clinging for dear life on any sort of lifesaver there could be.

Garet reached a plated tablet full of names of Colosso victors from the past all the way since its beginning. It detailed the name of the victor, their hometown, the final weapon used for the killing blow, and the reward it achieved. Bizarre names of victors from places all around Weyard – though most of the Colosso victors came from Angara – were spread out in many rows and many columns. Garet felt that he wasn't going to find any good information out of the tablet until he saw one name in particular, which made his heart leap. He read it carefully and made sure that his eyes weren't deceiving him.

"Look at this, Ivan!" Garet said excitedly.

Ivan had been staring at a tablet that contained translated text from a formation of complex geometric-like figures. He was roused from being too mesmerized by the nonsensical text when he heard Garet call him.

"What did you find?" the Jupiter Adept inquired and approached Garet, who had a victorious sort of look on himself.

Garet was searching through the names of Colosso victors and he pointed out to one particular name near the top-left of the tablet.

Ivan looked hard until he could find the name – and what he saw equally shocked him.

"_Trefellgjen._"


	4. Life and Death

**EPISODE 1: FADING HOPE (continuation)**

**PART 4: LIFE AND DEATH**

**Back within the cave…**

Isaac could feel his heartbeat like never before. Bane joined Isaac's party of Djinn as it settled inside the Adept's spirit. He and Mia realized that the cavern had another person lurking around – possibly a dangerous opposition. His breathing didn't seem to help him as Isaac contemplated on what they could do.

Before he could make any suggestion, another soft click occurred. Again, the two Adepts prepared themselves for what could come. They grasped their weapons tightly that they anticipated some attack to come upon them.

"The pool!" Mia cried.

Isaac turned around and gasped as he watched the pool glow a bright green. He realized that the Mercury Djinni were still inside – lost somewhere in the labyrinth.

"What's going on?" He inspected the area as he prepared for any encounter.

Mia screamed. When Isaac turned around, he flinched and knew why.

The water from the well had risen up to the air to become a gigantic glowing blob. Parts of the water twisted around until they formed into something nearly solid – almost organic. In the process, the blob spat out two miniature creatures from where its forming tail should be.

"Fizz! Sleet!" Mia cried as she ran over to the two Djinn, unhurt but flustered. "What happened?"

Isaac stopped her. "There's no time. We might be in for a fight."

The two Mercury Djinn, done with their work, quick retreated back inside Mia as they became spiritual glowing orbs, ready to be unleashed at any time.

Mia joined her partner as they prepared themselves for a battle – a two-on-one battle that almost seemed hopeless to them without the aid of any Mars Psynergy, something that Garet willfully had and would be a piece of cake for him against a water monster. Mia would receive the most of the immunity but she would have to act as support once again while Isaac and his Venus Djinn would do most of the damaging.

The water blob was almost complete in its transformation – a pointed arrowhead-tail, a pair of dragon-like wings, claws that formed on its four legs, and a seemingly translucent hide – as the massive and intimidating water creature was squirming around to complete its formation. The neck was extremely long and almost disproportionate with its body, which took up very little of the room. The head revealed to be a serpent-like head, with fangs and a pair of eyes that glowed bright blue apart from the rest of the eerie pale green body. Once finished, the water serpent made a hiss that spat water from its mouth and rained in on Isaac and Mia, both of them dodged the water that became acid.

"It's acidic," Isaac realized when he watched the liquid erode a standing rock. "Watch out that you don't get hit by its spit." He also realized something dangerous about the monster. "_If its attacks are really acidic, my weapons would be useless. In this case, I can rely only on my Psynergy and Djinn._"

The long neck swirled around the room until it drew its target onto Mia, who had taken battle stance.

"Glacier!" She cried, letting a hail of ice blocks down onto the head of the water monster. The numerous gigantic ice blocks weighed down on the water monster until its head could not move.

"We need to get out of here," Isaac told Mia. "There's no way we can win against it – not when we're at a serious disadvantage."

"But where should we go?"

The two of them inspected the area while they dodged the water monster's tail swipes. The muffled screams from the head that bore under Mia's Glacier seemed to aggravate it more. The hope to escape was little as they clambered around the perimeter of room using the monster's glow as the only source of light.

"Is there really nowhere else to go?" Isaac said irritably. Meanwhile, the monster was breaking through the glacier block.

Mia looked around, hoping for some avenue of escape. She was just as flustered as Isaac was – a second block of Glacier wouldn't be of good use if the monster was already very aggravated. It had yet to land a single attack on any of them.

Just when the two Adepts could steel themselves together and come up with a good strategy, the block of ice shattered and the water monster's head was free.

"Looks like we'll have to fight it after all!" Mia said.

"I unleash Granite!"

"I unleash Sleet!"

The two Djinn came out from their respective Adepts' spirits and executed their tasks. Granite created a Psynergy shield around Isaac and Mia, enhancing their defenses and taking less damage from any attacks done to it. Sleet, called upon for battle, charged forward fearlessly to meet the water monster and rained a barrage of ice shards toward the monster's head.

"Watch out!" Isaac alerted Mia.

Mia's senses sharpened as she watched something flash from the corner of her eye. She only needed one swift look to the left to react. Instantly, Mia cast her Glacier Psynergy to block yet an incoming tentacle-like appendage that sprouted from the monster's body.

Isaac gritted his teeth. "_Shape-makers… Never thought we would face them in here of all places._" Throughout their journey, Isaac had accumulated knowledge about towns, people, places, and also beasts. He had made a mental bestiary, keeping himself updated with the monsters that they faced in their quest. Their first encounter with shape-makers, which Isaac collectively called them, was their ascent of Mercury Lighthouse while they faced jellyfish-like creatures that regenerated appendages – or even sprouted new appendages on their own.

"_It's life-soul… extinguish it._"

The song in his head once again guided Isaac. He remembered something about the life-souls, which all monsters held – including the seemingly undefeatable ones. Isaac's party overcame them by killing off what seemed to be a life-soul that every creature harnessed. "_The life-soul…_" (from one of Kraden's teachings) _"… is what comprises an elemental identity for each creature. Take away that life-soul and the creature will be nothing more than an empty shell._" Killing off these life-souls didn't require combat but needed a lot of risk since it would need actual contact with the monster itself.

"The life-soul," Isaac told Mia. "I'll find it!"

While Mia was keeping the water monster busy, Isaac looked around to detect the water monster's life-soul and see if he could access it. It was an alternative for standard combat, one that Isaac and his friends still have yet to harness the effects and execute the method properly. While extinguishing the monster's life-soul could save time, it was quite risky in terms of Psynergy and safety.

"Can you find its life-soul?" Mia called, swiftly dodging another tentacle appendage (making two in all attacking Mia) that came from out of nowhere.

"I'm trying!" Isaac responded, frantically moving around the perimeter while being carefully with his steps. "You'll have to execute the extinguishment when I find it."

Unfortunately for Mia, the water monster was entirely focused on her that the Mercury Adept became flustered and tired. "I might not hold long! Hurry!"

"I'm trying!"

Isaac retraced his route as he transfixed his focus on different parts of the monster's body. The life-soul was usually translucent and could not be seen directly. It would take some focus for an Adept to detect the exact location of the life-soul. He recalled from Kraden's lessons that the life-soul was something that also defined every action, every movement of a creature – if it were damaged, but not totally, the monster would be crippled – leaving an avenue of escape or decisive kill. He studied the monster one more time thoroughly; he could not bear Mia continuing to dodge the tentacle appendages and the acid sprays. She had already summoned Mercury to help her with her Psynergy.

Left, right, from above – Isaac noticed that the tentacles were doing most of the attacking. The head occasionally spat an acid puddle that dissolved the top layer of rocks. "_What's causing the tentacles to move?_"

He returned to where Mia was and provided some cover for her to rest as he took over the combat. Mia would be needed for executing the monster's life-soul's extinguishment when Isaac would find it. The Venus Adept prepared to battle as he eyed warily at the monster, ready to deliver unmerciful blows out from its aggravated state.

Isaac was about to leap forward when he noticed something about the monster's head. "_The eyes… they don't seem to be transfixed in their place. It's as if they're moving with the momentum of the direction the head is going…_" He had a split-second to observe further before he swung his sword and fended off the double-tentacle attack. The danger temporarily ceased, Isaac continued to anticipate the enemy's movements – while keeping a close eye on the monster's head. "_They don't even blink – not even one bit. It's as if…_"

The conclusion he drew out from his observation was one that would save their lives.

"Mia!" Isaac called and the Mercury Adept, regaining her energy, approached him. "This monster has two life-souls – the eyes!"

Mia looked at the head and nodded. "It makes sense. I was a little suspicious of it earlier, but at least I can confirm it."

"We need a plan on how to get close to the monster's head without getting hit," Isaac said.

"I'll cast Glacier one more time and you can carve your way through the ice," Mia suggested.

There was a few seconds to consider the situation. Isaac had seen Mia use Glacier effectively, paralyzing the water monster. He should have known it sooner – the Glacier Psynergy had rendered a part of the water monster useless, and it was only a matter of time before the ice shattered and the monster regained control. Finding no better alternative, Isaac agreed to the plan.

"Ready?"

Her determined face was one that didn't let Isaac have second thoughts.

"Let's go," Isaac instructed. The Adepts didn't waste any more time.

Mia raised her staff and allowed a smooth flow of Mercury Psynergy from her mind to her weapon. She cried mightily, "Glacier!"

One-by-one, blocks of ice rained down on the water monster's head until the monster became disoriented again. The head collapsed to the ground under the weight of the ice – leaving the monster incapacitated. While the tentacles were wriggling on the ground, they didn't have the strength to attack.

"It's your turn," Mia told Isaac and stepped aside for Isaac to work out his role. She had to wait until she could perform her task. Such a task was provided to her because the extinguishment would work for an Adept directly connected to the element of the monster.

Isaac stood in front of the block of ice and sent out Flint. "Help me carve through this ice," the Adept instructed. With an affirmative gesture, Flint rematerialized into a golden brow spiritual orb and infused itself with Isaac's weapon. His weapon empowered, Isaac started to carve his way through the ice. He had to do this quick before the ice would shatter around him and their plans would have been for naught.

Mia, on the other hand, seemed doubtful. She felt as if the glacier was a little too thick for Isaac to penetrate. She had to cast it at a precise level of power, something that she needed to master for an offensive Mercury Adept. As Isaac made his way to where the monster's eyes were (the supposed eyes seemed to blend with the color of the glacier as the head distinguished with an eerie pale green), Mia followed suit. Her extinguishment would be needed right away as soon as they could make contact with the eyes.

"It's here," Isaac announced as he carved down the last of the ice leading to the monster's head. "Mia, get ready!"

After Isaac stepped back, Mia moved forward. She had not performed such a complex task since they left Mercury Lighthouse. Mia hoped that her memory would serve her well.

"Elemental spirits, I call upon thee…" When Mia chanted, a brilliant white light formed on her open palms facing both of the monster's eyes. The eyes reacted suddenly to Mia's pulsing lights as the life-souls vibrated. "I plead to purify and cleanse the soul of this creature that has been scorned by the unwelcome elements plaguing the world." The life-souls continued vibrating, this time wildly. "I plead to return the soul of this creature to the peaceful life it has once inhabited." She mustered all her focus while performing the ritual. Anything that would mess up her concentration would mean a failed plan. There was no turning back. Suddenly, an outline of Mia glowed a piercing crystal blue as she roared, her voice blended with trepidation, dominance, and cruelty. "The elemental spirits command… EXTINGUISH!"

She shouted the last word with such ferocity that when she laid her hands on two life-souls, Isaac felt some shockwave knock him outside the ice blocks. When Isaac recovered, he watched a scene unfold. The surroundings around Mia were veiled in a very bright light that completely illuminated the area. Using the available illumination, Isaac looked around for any exit – until he realized that the place where they were in was one giant pit. Another exit was visible far up, far higher than where they entered.

Isaac didn't have enough time to transfix his focus once more on the bright light when a mild explosion occurred. He stumbled backward and shielded himself from the shattering ice. In the middle of an uncovering smoke, he watched a figure gracefully getting tossed through the air – to his direction…

"Mia!" Isaac cried.

Swiftly, he caught Mia in his arms. Her tender body seemed to be weighed down after the adventures they encountered within the unknown island.

Isaac observed the surroundings. The illumination faded quickly and the monster's body melted back into a pure liquid form. The liquid crept back into the well, filling it with the same water where the two Mercury Djinn inspected through the labyrinth.

"Isaac?" Mia stirred – she was unconscious for a few moments from the explosive impact.

Isaac came to her aid through the semi-darkness. The cave was dimly lit by the two life-souls, a tad brighter than the Djinn.

"Can you stand up?" Isaac asked concernedly.

Mia nodded and she struggled to get up. She picked up her staff and noticed something. "W-What's this?"

"What's wrong."

Mia gasped. "L-Look at my staff!"

Isaac inspected the staff Mia held for him to see and found that the staff Mia possessed was not like the one she used earlier. The staff now had an incredible complex pattern of yellowish relics around where the channeling orb was supposed to be. The orb, unlike a crystal blue one that Mia used before, was a royal violet.

"Whatever happened to the other one?" Isaac asked.

"I don't know. Let's try to search."

A few minutes into the investigation yielded a surprising discovery. Mia's old staff – the Frost Wand – was discovered in the corner of the room. It was cleanly snapped into two and the usual plasma-like particles in the crystal blue orb were no longer swirling around. The Frost Wand was irreparable, useless. It felt as if Mia had lost a fragment of herself, the wand that she had used for quite a long time – from when they arrived in Kalay to the revisit in Vault and Vale to the defense in the Karagol Sea – had somehow attached its soul to Mia, that when Mia discovered the demise of her weapon, she felt some sadness leaking out from the broken staff.

"I'm sorry," Isaac consoled her as Mia sank to her knees beside the shattered weapon. He placed his arm around her shoulder as he knelt beside her. Perhaps it was time to cheer her up… "Mia, listen. You were incredible there and… I really don't know what else to say." It was true. All the action, all the excitement, and all the stress only rendered Isaac speechless at the end. Such numerous discoveries in a few rooms could enhance their capabilities as Adepts and persons. "I really wish I could cheer you up right now and all," Isaac continued rather shyly, "but… we really have to keep going – if we'll find a way out."

Mia lifted her head. "Isaac," she said softly.

"What is it?"

The silence cut to them like the sharp slice of Isaac's sword. Isaac somehow feared what Mia was going to say. Mia, on the other hand, seemed too clammed up to say anything. For her, there wasn't any other thing to express what she felt.

"Thank you."

What Isaac would experience next was something that would take his breath away. Mia flung herself forward and embraced Isaac while she dug her head into the Venus Adept's chest. As she held herself, Isaac tried to steel himself though he could not keep his heart from beating, one that seemed to comfort Mia despite the semi-darkness. Whether it was done out of gratitude or done out of some mistakable perception, Isaac could only feel the kind of stemming emotion that was sure to develop sometime later. He slowly wrapped his arms around Mia while caressing her hair and whispered softly, "Don't mention it."

Mia let go and picked up her new staff and her new self – eagerly readying to face the next challenge, setting aside her differences that she thought would distance herself away, and placing her trust that Isaac would find a way out, and believing that teamwork would get them through any situation, thick and thin. She turned away rather quickly to hide the fury of the blood that swelled on her tender face, thankfully the both of them wrapped in semi-darkness.

"Where should we go?" she asked, still not wanting Isaac to see her in such an awkward state.

Isaac frowned as he turned to the life-souls, prancing around in the air a few feet above them. But just as he would propose some idea, he heard the melodious song echo in his mind.

"_Follow the life-souls._"

Isaac looked up and wondered how the freed life-souls would help them reach the exit a hundred feet up.

"_Touch them…_"

The song was too much help for a guidance, but since everything it suggested turned out to be the correct course of action – for Isaac anyway – Isaac decided to comply. He slowly approached one of the life-souls and reached out to touch it. Every distance he closed in increased an awareness of the warmth the life-soul provided.

"What are you doing?" Mia asked.

Isaac didn't take his eyes off the life-soul he intended to grasp. "I don't know… but I think this is the way to go." He didn't bother telling Mia about the voice he heard, believing that even a necessary and plausible explanation would just be a waste of time. Isaac seemed to have lost track of time ever since they were washed ashore the cave. If he counted right, they would have been already three hours into the exploration – with some progress.

The life-soul tempted him to feel it; to caress it like there would be no tomorrow. Even as Isaac continued reaching out for it, he became aroused by some thoughts that had nothing to do with Psynergy, but instead had a lot to do with… but he could not want those images to form, not while he was very conscious…

"What should I do?"

Mia's question snapped Isaac back to reality. He was subconsciously feeling the edges of the life-soul he had contacted. When Isaac saw the life-soul he was holding, he was surprised that the life-soul had glowed a bright golden brown with a hue quite similar to a Venus Djinni's illumination. The life-soul must have aligned itself with Isaac since the life-souls were purged from the monster that held it earlier. He pleaded silently for some more advice.

"_Let the other Adept take the other life-soul._"

Isaac gulped. "M-Mia, you take the other one."

Reluctantly, Mia walked around Isaac and approached the other life-soul. As she reached out to touch the life-soul, she experienced the similar sensation as Isaac had. Her thoughts became imbued by some semi-disturbing, semi-satisfying thoughts that heavily leaned upon… she couldn't bear to think of it any further…

"Mia?"

When she heard Isaac call her name, she experienced a sharp jolt that numbed her senses for a nanosecond. She had already touched the other life-soul, which illuminated a bright blue that reflected the glow of a Mercury Djinni.

"You experienced that?" Isaac asked.

"Y-yeah," Mia answered

No matter how hard she tried, she couldn't resist blushing, which Isaac noticed but passed it off to prevent nervousness from acting up.

Suddenly, the two of them felt soft jerks in their fingertips from the life-souls that they were holding. Neither of them felt the need to speak or wonder as they let the life-soul accomplish its task of favor. In a matter of seconds, the two of them were gone from the room and reappeared on another stony corridor, a massive pit behind them, the pit that held the razor blades and the well with the underwater labyrinth. The life-souls teleported them.

"What happened?" Isaac asked.

"I don't know," Mia answered, equally confused at what happened.

"At least we can move forward, let's go." The Venus Adept led the way as he sent out Flint for some more illumination. The corridor ahead was a more tolerable than the first one. It was more inviting, had more breathing space, and (though Mia didn't realize at first) a greater illumination. As they moved on ahead, the life-souls remained swirling behind them – perhaps for them to use when they would return.

The two of them continued walking down the corridor – Flint hovering ahead to scout as it did the first time – with some awkward silence, minus Flint's humming of some song that the Adepts had learned while in Kalay, a Kalayan folk song. Perhaps they were too embarrassed to share their thoughts after experienced the kind of sensations that involved the other as they reached out to touch the life-souls. If they would be encountering similar occurrences in the future, perhaps they would need some explanation.

"Umm, Isaac?" Mia took the initiative.

Isaac was supposedly trying to scout what was ahead of Flint, but he was somehow lost in his own private world. He was slightly thankful that Ivan wasn't in the party – otherwise, he would have given himself away seconds ago. When he heard Mia say his name, Isaac felt a strong jolt surge across his body; he had to restrain himself from being too surprised, not while he was literally in front of Mia.

"W-What is it?" Isaac asked, cursing himself on how stupid he thought he could be.

"I…" Mia started as she struggled internally for the words to describe something, "w-when I touched that life-soul, I seemed to have felt… something. D-Do you k-know what that was?"

Isaac winced silently. "_Pray Venus that I will go through this ordeal._"

And just like an answered prayer, the song in his head responded. "_Answer her truthfully…_"

Isaac felt as if he was going to cry.

**In Tolbi's docks…**

"The repairs finished earlier than usual," the captain gleefully announced when he caught sight of Garet and Ivan. "If we have to sail out to sea to search for your friends, we should do it while the weather is good. Otherwise, they won't be holding out for long."

Garet and Ivan smiled. They recalculated their time spans to adjust to the new information.

And that was what they did aboard the captain's ship. The captain discovered that the reserve ship that was supposed to act as back-up in case his ship got destroyed in the middle of the sea safely arrived in the Kalay side a few hours after the departure from Kalay. After making the necessary preparations, which also involved the captain signing an entry into his log: "Conducting a needed operation," the captain and a few of his trusted crew (including the oarsmen) sailed out at sea. With the kraken gone, the seas were relatively safer.

"Do the other captains know that you're headed possibly for Crossbone Isle?" Ivan asked the captain, manning the steering wheel. The anchor trinket was safely nested on its rightful place atop the barrel.

"As long as I don't make any suspicious moves while we're out in the open sea, nobody will find out," the captain answered.

Garet muttered, "Searching for an island that hardly exists could be labeled as suspicious."

"I do have my reasons," the captain justified. "If it is to search for Raveneye after all these years, maybe I might have been misled. I am not prepared to disclose these reasons… not unless there's evidence that Raveneye has indeed set on Crossbone Isle."

Out of respect for the captain's wisdom, Ivan did not bother to use Mind Read on him.

"I'm quite curious about Crossbone Isle," Ivan said to the captain. "We've done our research and all… but isn't this kind of thing best attributed to fantasy?"

The captain chuckled. "You all exhibited very strange powers when you battled the kraken. Though it was quite unclear what you all did, I'm sure there couldn't be a dividing line for what is real and what is not." He let go of the steering wheel and sat down on the stool beside it. "I'm quite acquainted with the thing people called Psynergy. It reminded me of something." He cleared his throat, allowing the suspense to build up. "Raveneye and Trefellgjen might have been Adepts once."

Garet's eyebrows furrowed. "H-How is it possible?"

The captain frowned. "I'm not sure how, but the matter of the Tainted Ocean showed that when the two of them dueled in the middle of the sea, they were exhibiting some forms of strange powers only a set people could recognize. It could be Psynergy."

Ivan frowned. "Psynergy, huh? If we were to meet either one of them, we would be overwhelmed."

The captain shook his head. "It's going to be incredibly dangerous once you set foot in Crossbone Isle. Trefellgjen might still have an army of monsters lurking around that he… befriended during his campaign." He painted an expression as if he was reminded of something. "About that… detecting that your friends are still alive… about it being an Adept thing, can you update me on that?"

Ivan nodded. He closed his eyes and focused. It wasn't a very difficult job and this form of communication could be done in seconds. "They're alive, and they're somewhere deep below – possibly at an underground cave at the bottom of the sea."

The captain stood up and returned to his post at the steering wheel. "That's a relief. Whether or not a miracle pulled them to safety, nobody dares question it."

When Garet and Ivan left the captain's deck and headed out back to the fresh open air of the sea, they put their thoughts together regarding the information that they obtained. Had only they had been more attentive and helped Mia pull Isaac up back to the ship during the fight with the kraken, they would not have encountered this kind of problem. What benefit would they get from their excursion? Maybe acquiring new forms of Psynergy that would help them clear obstacles later on. But how would it attribute for them to search for Isaac and Mia? There was bound to be a definite answer somewhere.

"Garet, it seems that there's something going on in your mind lately…" Ivan said, puzzled by the look of Garet's quite carefree expression. The Jupiter Adept knew that an aggressive nature that Garet harbored would not bear the kind of expression unless there was some mystery behind it. It was Ivan's nature to probe deep into anybody's emotions.

"Just a couple of things," Garet answered, smiling brightly. "Remember that challenge back in the underground museum?"

"Yeah… what about…" Ivan paused suddenly, replacing his tone of inquiry to that of shock. "N-No way… you didn't."

Garet chuckled. "It was pathetically easily," he answered.

"Tell me about it." Ivan demanded. He did not know that Garet had opted to take the challenge.

"It's something that non-Adepts would not understand…"

**Back in the cave, at a later moment…**

"How long is this going to end?" Mia asked.

Isaac was surprised that she took his answer, despite the level of awkwardness, rather lightly. She only mustered a giggle that sent some shivers down Isaac's spine. Isaac mentally swore that he would never do such a thing again, and prayed that Mia wouldn't bring up the issue.

"I don't know," Isaac answered. Somewhere along the way, the path inclined. Given the angle, they would probably reach a shallow part of the water in a few hours of tedious walking. "As long as the road inclines, I think we're bound to find something soon…"

The next hour was very fatiguing. The moments of unrest and little recovery from the encounter with the water monster and the entire underwater ordeal seemed to sap the energy away from the both of them. Even Isaac could not openly admit that he wanted some rest. Without the view of sunlight for so long, he feared that he would lose track of time – and ultimately lose sense of the goal that the Wise One imparted to them.

Ever since they started exploring the cave and its areas, Isaac wanted to know if the side-quest could have some good bearing on the overall quest. There were some benefits: first, Isaac managed to find a Venus Djinni that would prove to be beneficial for his Psynergy and overall strength in combat capabilities – also, the additional Djinni would keep them company for a little while. Second, Mia (who still scorned over the loss of a prized weapon) possessed a new weapon which she had yet to try out in battle but felt as if the new one could be counted on just like her shattered Frost Bite. Third, the fact that they were alone together in the side-quest for survival meant that they would have to work one way or another to keep themselves alive – thus, enhancing their sense for teamwork. Fourth, it was partly out of Isaac's or Mia's selfishness – but ever since their bickering, they grew accustomed to each other's company.

But the prospects of becoming widely strayed from the main goal would only mean one thing for Isaac – that his failure in this quest would mean a failure as a person – ultimately as a failure in existence. He had considered dying early as an avenue for escape, but the complex workings of life could not establish such good basis for that action. Isaac always believed that there were people behind him cheering them on as they (now Isaac and Garet gave serious thought in their journey) were deluded into thinking that their actions might save the world. For Isaac, was it logical to retrieve the remaining Elemental Stars and return them to Sol Sactum? The Mercury Lighthouse was already lit – why not let the other Lighthouses throughout Weyard be the same. It wouldn't create any harm for the world, would it?

As for Mia, she did not want to disclose the reasons for joining Isaac's quest. At one time, somewhere outside Altin, she was almost caught off-guard when Isaac heard her mumble one time when she was alone and wanted some privacy (in the end, Isaac received a hard slap across the cheek). Ivan was coerced by Isaac to find out Mia's reasons – the result was just the same. She was never angry, always graceful and serene. But joining a group full of guys somehow "manned" her up to become like them – snappy and sometimes out-of-place. The serene side had faded so long ago the moment she picked up her staff for battle capabilities.

Isaac knew about this. He opted and wish to see Mia's gentle side once more – maybe out for the fun of it, but he would not resort to getting Mia angry again. A Mercury Adept with that kind of temper could lash out at anyone with a greater violence level than the killer ape. Perhaps he was the only medium who could accomplish it. But given the situation and the stress, it was hard for him to maintain his edge. His friendship with Felix, Garet, and Jenna during his childhood years was nothing more than transitory stages of growing up. Like any other boy, he experienced the kind of emotion when one was smitten by the pangs of what people called puppy love.

His journey and explorations throughout Weyard in a way "manned" him up. The carefree and serious side that he had when he lived in Vale had hardened, forging Isaac into a headstrong and bold (and sometimes reckless) leader, one whom people looked up to and whom people desired more of his kind throughout Weyard in its trying times. His recognition sometimes earned a tinge of envy from the rest of the group – Garet obviously for his aggressive side. While this warranted Isaac to make note of that, he was generally shy and would not rather be appeased with praise but with effort – making him quite an odd person when it came to the grown-ups and most especially with ladies his age. This was well-explained when Feizhi came up to him once and said something about how she highly regarded men like Hsu and Isaac when there are people who should be doing some good to the world. Isaac was like a "mirror." Whatever people perceived him, Isaac's personality reflected that way. But he would not be swayed so easily with opinion, being headstrong only let him pursue his own truths – the kind of personality only he could define.

"Let's rest," Isaac finally announced when he knew that his legs would not endure any more. "Flint, come back."

Mia exhaled, immensely relieved that they would be able to get some endurance off their chest. The Venus Djinni, given a theoretically unlimited amount of energy, noted Isaac's command and trotted back to the two of them.

"What are you resting for? We should keep going!" Flint demanded.

"Unlike you, we have a limited amount of time to use our energy," Isaac panted. "We'll just rest for a couple of hours then we'll be back again."

Mia stumbled on the ground and leaned on the wall behind her. She was not conscious of how soiled her clothes were.

As Isaac sat on the ground beside Mia, he couldn't help himself but wonder how Mia remained beautiful even after all the action and all the ordeal. Was it a Mercury Adept teaching perhaps?

"Another step and I would've slept in," Mia said.

"I just wanted to make sure that we've gone far before we could continue," Isaac defended his reason for the delayed period of rest.

He never thought about it, but he was very hungry. They left all their rations back in the ship. Isaac gave it some serious thought and he was starting to fear that he might go crazy without any food or water for days. Given time, their sanity would slowly creep away if they wouldn't be found yet.

"Isaac?" Mia said as she took out something from inside the pockets of her robe. It was one of the snack packs from Kalay.

"Y-You… Mia!" Exasperated as he was, Isaac was extremely grateful. Mia was indeed a miracle-worker.

Mia smiled. "I don't know how, but I almost forgot that they were still there even during our fight with the kraken and after we got sucked in by the current." She opened her waterproof snack-pack and began munching on the bun. "I've got a little more but we should conserve."

Isaac smiled as he munched in his bun. "Y-Yeah." He tore off a considerable amount for Flint to eat to which the Venus Djinni happily accepted.

**Later at an undetermined time…**

"Mia?" Isaac whispered softly at the sleeping Adept, her head nested comfortably on Isaac's shoulder. She did not respond.

Flint was also fast asleep while keeping his illumination aglow.

Gently, Isaac laid Mia's body on the floor. He wanted some room to stretch having thought that he might have slept enough. The food seemed to be still fresh on his stomach – his hunger relieved earlier. Slowly, he stood up and began working on his calisthenics. No matter how tight the situation, how unusual the place, Isaac would never get started on a day without some warm-up. His lean and fit body worked wonders for his agility: he could leap higher than any normal person would – of course, he had to use Psynergy to lift himself high off the ground.

Unlike his usual set of routines, Isaac cut the number of his routines he had to do with his exercise because his energy wasn't fully restored. He had eaten few and didn't sleep under the right conditions. He would have to save his breath for anything that they would encounter soon. And Isaac constantly prayed to Venus that the others would find them at the soonest time.

"Isaac? Where…?"

"I'm here," Isaac replied gently. Mia had stirred and sat up while she rubbed her eyes to erase whatever trace of sleepiness there was. He suspected that Mia also didn't have a peaceful sleep. "We should get going soon."

Mia stood up and stretched herself. "It's quite different – knowing that we'd wake up as if we've not slept."

Isaac chuckled. "And that feeling when things aren't going as planned…"

Meanwhile, Flint sprung to his feet, unable to avert his attention to the conversation. "Should we get a move on?"

Isaac turned to him. "That's not a nice way to say good morning."

"Like I should," Flint grumbled. Mia giggled.

"What's the plan?" Mia asked Isaac when she was through with her fit of giggling.

Isaac thought about it for a while. "For now, we should continue from where we left off. The inclination might get steeper from here on, so we should be wary with our footsteps." He turned around to the direction from where they entered. "Something also tells me that we might need to backtrack when it's necessary."

In short, there was no real plan. Despite the reminders of remembering everything that they've learned and encountered – the life-soul, the puzzle traps, the rubble pile that might serve as another staircase, the room full of crystals – there wasn't a single way to make use of what they have accumulated. With only their weapons, their Psynergy, and their Djinn to help them out in difficult times, the two Adepts would have to devise a good way to get out. The only thing hindering them was lack of information.

No sooner than a few minutes later that the two Adepts continued their ascent – with Flint scouting ahead. Mia sent out another of her Djinni, Spritz, to scout the back area just like she did for Fizz earlier (Fizz was on standby mode).

Every step they made just continued wearing down their energy. Even with the progress that they made in the path that seemed to stretch on perpetually, Isaac almost felt as if they were twisted into thinking that they were close to their goal. With no real plan, no real goal, and no real capability to explore what lay ahead, the two of them were blinded by the illusionary prospect of freedom. What if freedom never came for them at all? What if they were left to die – and that the voice Isaac had been hearing had just sent them to their doom?

These thoughts seriously hated the realist side of Isaac. Numerous times he was tempted to shout out how frustrated he actually was even though he was wearing the hopeful façade the whole time.

"_Do not be afraid. Just keep going._"

And even when Isaac could not withstand the frustration he felt, he still yearned to know what the voices in his head were really trying to tell him. The song had been with him ever since he was face-to-face with death during the stormy encounter. Somehow, Isaac thought that the song was strangely familiar. He might have known a person who had a very similar tone. Even as he searched for names in his memory the people he encountered throughout his life, he had the nagging urge to resist – thinking that the song will reveal itself in due time.

"Stop," Flint commanded after what seemed to be an eternity of shuffling footsteps and an incredible test of patience. "Something's up ahead. I'll scout."

"Finally, some progress." Isaac heard Mia whisper.

Flint moved forward cautiously as it hovered forward the incline. After a few meters forward, Flint stopped and inspected the ground.

"What did you find?" Isaac called.

"There's some sort of a switch," Flint announced. "I'm not sure what it does but I think it's bound to trigger some trap."

The first thing that came to Isaac's mind was the trap that was triggered when Ivan wittingly used Force Psynergy to strike a wall in the Altin mines. They hoped that it would open up some secret passage but they had to run for their lives as a giant boulder rolled toward them. Maybe a giant boulder rolling toward them was bound to happen again.

"I'm curious as to what this switch does," Spritz said curiously. "But I think it's best that we leave it alone."

Isaac and Mia and the Mercury Djinni, Spritz, walked over to where Flint was stationed and observed the switch Flint was talking about. The switch was a pale red (it could be a different color since Flint's golden brown glow illuminated it) and acted like a button. If it were stepped on, it was going to trigger something.

"I think it's best if we left it alone," Mia repeated Spritz's advice.

Isaac nodded. If indeed a boulder rolled down their way, they would have to run all the way back to where the life-souls were stationed – and what a long way that would be. Even as they were refreshed and restored, they knew that they would be squashed long before they could reach the life-souls – what a tragic end.

"_Press the switch._"

Mia and Flint were considerably ahead when Isaac heard the song once more in his head. He had grown some level of ire. But since he had also trusted the song to get them out in messy situations, he had second thoughts.

"I think we ought to press it," Isaac announced, bracing himself.

Mia turned around sharply. "Y-You just agreed that we would leave it alone."

Again, Isaac had to justify his suggestion – and he could not base his justifications on a voice that neither Mia nor Flint (and any other Djinn for the matter) could hear. "I'm sorry," he said to the both of them, "but… it's a gut feeling. Something's bound to happen when we press this switch – and I don't think it's a trap."

Rather than lash out at Isaac, Mia turned to Flint instead, "Is it true? About pressing that switch activating a trap?"

Flint was possibly trying for a place to scurry. If ever there was a person who was to be avoided in their bad days, it would be Mia.

Mia almost yelled. "Flint!"

Isaac had to interfere. "Mia, please calm down. Just trust me on this one okay?"

Mia seemed exasperated. She didn't like it when Isaac changed his mind frequently. But who was one to argue with someone who based his suggestions and actions on gut feelings?

When Isaac saw her over Flint's glow, he was surprised that Mia was about to break down and cry. He was one to comfort – but even the prospect of cheering Mia up when they were alone could only needle his embarrassment. But it was a man's job and it was Isaac's task to man up. He walked forward over to Mia and expected to face resistance. But he was both surprised and relieved that Mia wasn't pushing him away. "Listen Mia," he reassured her. "There must be a reason we were sent here. I'm confident that it's for the quest."

"You don't sound confident."

Isaac made a laid-back smile. "W-Well, I'm not really completely confident, to tell the truth." He took a deep breath and turned around. "I ought to tell you now…"

"What is it?" Mia taunted.

There was nothing scarier than keeping Mia's temper unchecked. Without looking at Mia – a little afraid by how she would react when he told her the full story – he began his explanation, "Sometimes… when people entertain the possibility of death, there's always this kind of unexplainable phenomenon. My… dad…" the thought of losing his father in the storm that struck Vale out of a disastrous conquest by Saturos and Menardi still didn't leave Isaac as he struggled to get over it, "… always told me that people sometimes hear voices that they never heard in their life. It's the same situation I'm experiencing right now." Before Mia could get on with Isaac's logic, he answered it for her. "Truth be told, I'm entertaining the possibility of death – even though my spirit compels me to go on. My mind feels dead, while my spirit feels so alive." He looked up. "This cave – it's as if it's tricking your mind. In my case, it's making me want to entertain something that I do not like."

"Death? What do you mean?" Mia asked, her voice softer.

Isaac sat down on the ground, deeply immersed in some reflection of a lesson parted to him long ago. "My dad… Jenna's parents… the storm that swept through Vale months ago… Even at this time, I'm always wondering what their last words had been. People said that even in split-seconds, their life flashes before them. But I am inclined to think that when facing death, the lives of the people they hold dear to them also flash in their minds.

"The voice I keep hearing… I do not know what its motives are," Isaac continued, delving into the details of the voice in his head. "Sometimes, I can trust it. Sometimes, I can't. But most of my judgments ever since we were washed away came from the voice in my head - it's helped us reach this far. It's a stirring melody that I can't really explain properly. It told me to submerge, to go deep, to follow the path, to touch the life-souls… and now it's telling me to press that switch." He gazed on the switch in the semi-darkness.

Mia walked over to Isaac and crouched beside him as she placed a giving arm around him. "I might have doubted you numerous moments – but I think it was out of generosity. Sometimes, being the only girl in the group has had their disadvantages. I'm sometimes accosted, looked down, taunted… even I had my temptations to just get up and leave." When Isaac looked at her, she managed to smile. "It's also like death in a sense. When I tend to think that life is so unfair to me – given the pressure of being a Mercury Adept and the discovery of Alex's treachery, I am reminded of how unbearable life can be on the other side of the mountains." She sat down on the ground beside Isaac and continued her story. "Thinking of death… reminds me of you, Isaac. Not in the literal sense of death. I mean, death in a way that's good… inviting… relieving."

An explanation would suffice. "Death… something that's in its ultimate definition… is one that does not have to be feared. The teachings of Mercury about death say that 'courageous is the one who accepts death.' But what was courage? I never really experienced first-hand about courage – until I met you, Garet, and Ivan…" She sighed. "We're so young to be fighting to many – to brawl against the unknown, to fight against something that can even kill us."

"I embarked on this mission to see who I really am in the face of everything that's happened throughout Weyard," Isaac said to Mia, enveloping a comforting arm around her. "Even I'm partially blinded on what the Wise One really wants me to do – but I know it will be for the best. Should death stare at me in the eye, I know that I will have accomplished something. All that matters is that you have done something in your life to know that upon your death, you will do something even better." That was a proverb Isaac's father told him the time when his grandmother died. "It's hard to explain… but I think he means that life will be unforgiving – and it's up to us to make it count, to make it a better place for everyone."

Mia looked away, amazed by the amassed wisdom even young Isaac held. She could not look at him directly but she was warmed up by how Isaac said all these to her. Such a friend would go to limits to share what they have learned in the quest. And if it meant to trust each other for this one, she would allow Isaac's judgment to reign.

"Thanks, Isaac."

"No problem."

As Mia looked at him, and Isaac looked at her, they wondered there was something else that threaded their friendship. Maybe something was bound to happen soon – something that would not be an accident.

"Are you two lovebirds done yet? Should we press the switch or not?" Spritz interrupted.

Isaac's shifty eyes towards Spritz meant that he did not approve of the timing – and quite the behavior Spritz displayed. But Flint was also right to remind them that time was of the essence.

The two Adepts got up and approached the red switch.

"I think I should step on it." Mia suggested.

"Be my guest." With a half-jested gesture that involved a courteous bow, Isaac stood aside to let Mia do the task.

The Mercury Adept knew there was nothing to fear – although the future encounter still terrified her. If Isaac believed that what he thought would be right, there was no other way to counter his idea. Mia raised a leg and didn't give the next second any other thought. She stepped on the red rocky button and they heard something click loudly from far away.

**X ~~~ END OF EPISODE 1 ~~~ X**

* * *

**AUTHOR'S NOTES:**

_To those who have faithfully followed the story, I am incredibly sorry if I surprised you with the seemingly shortened chapters. In reality, I compressed some chapters into one for a topic and divided these into parts. As you read earlier, I made CROSSBONE my major novel, having the title "EPISODE 1: FADING HOPE" as a testimonial. Nevertheless, very little has changed in the major outlay changing of the story._

_After every EPISODE, I will include my notes for the entire episode. Without further ado, here they are:_

_1.) From now on, I will be uploading chapters per EPISODE (not per PART as I did). The constant stress of pre-employment is sometimes nagging me that I can't seem to put my thoughts together to continue the plot. Rather than break promises for quick updates, I'll leave the plot maybe cliffhanging so you guys can see what's up ahead in the next episode. There are three to five parts per episode._

_2.) The name "Raveneye" is a reference to his real name "Seymour" in the story. Once you get the name pun, you'll find out why "Raveneye" is so called. There will be a backstory to Raveneye's journey in later episodes. Also "Trefellgjen" is just a random ancient-sounding name. Like Raveneye, there's also going to be Trefellgjen's story in later episodes. Is Trefellgjen really Deadbeard as deduced by Ivan and Garet? Find out in later episodes as well. The stories behind the two big names of the sea that we haven't heard of in Weyard might be some snippets of explanation on how the world's seas go._

_3.) Mudshipping. I plan to insert some more Mudshipping moments. I think readers will definitely like that - even if the community is more into SpiritShipping (Matthew and Sveta) or DawnShipping (Matthew and Karis) nowadays. I just couldn't find a good story for either two, since a lot of stories here have already captured the grandeur for these heart-warming moments._

_4.) If you guys were wondering what the challenge was about in which Garet won the burning axe, I'll leave it up to you. The Burning Axe will be handy when Garet and Ivan will hopefully reach Crossbone Isle._

_5.) Which also reminds me. The plot may not conform to the scenes in the Golden Sun game (but then again, most fanfics don't conform to scenes in the actual series). The game encourages that a party get all seven Djinn for each element (making twenty-eight in all) before going down to the depths of Crossbone Isle and facing the wickedly-powerful Deadbeard. Since there really are no level-caps or requirements for equipping weapons and armor, I'm given some sort of free rein on the events that take place in the Crossbone Isle adventures. Logically speaking, if I did write so (Isaac and party goes back to Suhalla Desert and ride a whirlwind to Crossbone Island to defeat Deadbeard and loot the treasures), wouldn't it delay Isaac's party from stopping Saturos's and Menardi's party in lighting the Venus Lighthouse?_

_6.) What Isaac told Mia when Mia asked about the strange, curious feeling as she was about to touch the life-souls... I'll leave that up to you._

_7.) The Djinn here are assigned gender (because referring to them as "it" makes their personality seem too bland and broad)._

_8.) Anything else here I missed? Inform me._

_**Stay tuned for EPISODE 2: THE SEAFARERS**  
_

_**PowerZone**_


End file.
